Sound Hearts
by KaosQu
Summary: Ranma Saotme meets Hotaru Tomoe when Ranma's father unexpectedly pauses their long training journey to send Ranma to school in Juuban. The two lonely souls find in each other a friend they both desperately need, all while the Senshi battle a mysterious new enemy that seems to somehow be connected to Hotaru.
1. Chapter 1

Sound Hearts

KaosQu

Author's Notes:

This is a story that I started many years ago when Ranma ½ was still new and Ranma ½ fanfiction still very popular on the internets. I recently stumbled across it again while going through my files and while I was a little embarrassed to read something so blatantly written as Ranma/Hotaru pairing wish-fulfillment, something about this story of their love and friendship still makes me smile. So while I do not intend to write more for this beyond what is already written, I decided to republish it now to ensure that those old readers who may have been searching for this story can easily find it, and in the hope that some new readers might also discover and enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Though I never finished writing more than 6 chapters (along with a rewrite, which is what this is) of Sound Hearts, I did complete and release on various forums a detailed outline of the story from start to finish so that if you start reading this you can still get closure as to how the story was intended to progress and end. You can grab the outline from the following link (with the blank space in the middle removed): "docdro. id/fpknDRl"

Knowledge of Sailor Moon S will probably add to the enjoyment of this story as I follow the episodes very closely and even borrow ideas from the manga. For purposes of this story, however, Setsuna was reincarnated earlier than any of the other Senshi and is around the same age as Genma. Ranma is the same age as Hotaru and Hotaru is the same age as the Senshi, which from what I have actually seen/read in both the show and manga, actually seems right to me.

Chapter 1

The air slipped silently past him as he dropped down. To him it was a comforting and familiar touch that seemed to gently embrace him, telling him in soft whispers to pull his legs up a little and relax his body: keep his form perfect. He landed softly, knees bent and one arm out to his side to steady himself. The wind rustled a little, a tiny sigh as it slipped away, and that was the only sign to mark Ranma Saotome's appearance.

The 14 year-old boy tore another bite out of the large meat bun that had been in his mouth, swallowing it down after a few quick chews. He glanced back up at the second story rooftop he had jumped from, oblivious to the startled looks from the crowd of people he had suddenly dropped into, and grinned. "C'mon old man, where are you?" he shouted tauntingly. "You must be gettin' slow in your old age!"

A split second later, an angry bespectacled face appeared over the side of the roof and screamed back down, "Ranma you disrespectful ingrate, get back here! I was saving that bun for _my_ dinner!" Some of the pedestrians looked up at the angry father, while others stared at Ranma, but all wondered what exactly was going on.

Ranma simply laughed and took off running. "Gotta catch me first old man!"

The young martial artist darted down the street, a red-blur weaving in and out of the crowds of people around him without so much as a moment's thought to anything other than the feel of the wind once more rushing past him. He would narrowly slip by an old man here, burst in between a bewildered-couple there, even hop over a little girl with a lollipop once; but the only thing going through his mind behind the satisfied smirk on his face was the rush and thrill of the moment as he tore through the streets, making sudden turns and trying to outrun his father, who he knew was hot on his heels.

As he fairly flew around a corner, he heard his father give a loud curse a little ways back and instinctively glanced behind him. He grinned, catching a glimpse of the old martial artist waving his arms and trying to shove his way through a particularly large crowd, before slipping past the stone corner. Genma's large frame and the fact that Ranma had left the old martial artist with all their supplies were obviously making it hard for him to keep up the chase.

Laughing silently, Ranma turned his attention back to where he was going and nearly collided with a young girl coming towards him. His eyes widened and, with no time to do anything else, he instinctively jumped up. His free hand reached out and pushed lightly down on the girl's head, flipping him over her.

The girl gave a startled cry and fell down, but Ranma barely noticed, busy trying to steady his awkward landing as he hit the ground. He stumbled forward, feet scrambling and arms waving ind armscramblign undofntil that point of what had n a comically frantic attempt to regain his balance. After a few desperate seconds, he finally steadied and came to a stop. He stood frozen, leaning forward on one leg with the other raised off the ground. His left hand was thrust high in the air, clutching his meat bun up high as if he were trying to protect it from some hungry animal. Ranma gave a slow, relieved sigh. Safe!

Taking a moment to regain his composure, the young martial artist spun around, prepared for yet another shouting match with the locals. "Are you crazy?! What the heck were you doing?!" he demanded, mustering up all the self-righteous exasperation he could. He puffed up his chest and shot the girl an annoyed look, steeling himself for a rebuttal. She stared up at him from the ground, one hand held against her chest as if she were recoiling from his words, her short dark hair framing a pale, startled face.

"I'm sorry," the girl returned quickly, and he could see her hastily push herself back up to her feet and bow to him in the corner of his eyes. "I didn't mean to run into you. I wasn't paying attention, it was my fault."

Ranma faltered and stared at the girl, mouth open and confused himself. He had spent eight years on the road traveling from town to town, city to city, all over Japan since he was six, and in all that time he couldn't once remember a girl… bowing and apologizing to him? What he did remember were countless people chasing him, yelling at him, and in general blaming him for things that, when you thought about it, weren't _really_ his fault. After a considerable length of silence, Ranma finally managed to vocalize his myriad thoughts in a word: "Huh?"

The girl straightened up and looked at Ranma. "I'm sorry," she said softly again. "Are you alright?"

Ranma blinked a few times then finally drew himself together. "Uh, yeah…" he said lamely, trying to think of something to say. "Just don't do it again," he finally tried. "Somebody could get hurt, you know!" He wagged a finger at her, imitating his father's lecturing voice and trying to look stern. He tried to think of what else Genma would say but froze as a large shadow suddenly loomed over him and the girl. Before he could so much as turn around, a rough hand smacked him on the back of his head, causing him to stumble a little. "Ouch!" he cried, rubbing his head.

"Oh what have I done to raise such a worthless son!" a deep voice lamented woefully.

Ranma sighed. His old man had finally caught up with him. He should've expected it after wasting so much time standing there. The only thing he didn't understand, however, was how the old man had gotten behind him. If Genma had been following him he should've come from the other direction. "About time you caught up-"

Genma cut off his son with another whack to the head. "Silence, Ranma! You disgrace the Saotome name! Our ancestors surely cry out in horror at the dishonor you have brought upon our family!"

Ranma looked at the meat bun still in his hand and then turned an incredulous stare on his father. "Aren't you overreacting just a little bit Pops?"

"It breaks my heart that even you could say such a thing! Ranma, you've destroyed the Saotome family heirloom, passed down through countless generations of proud martial artists!" Genma pointed at something on the ground.

Ranma looked at where his father was pointing and sure enough there were scattered pieces of… something… on the sidewalk. The young boy's eyes twitched as he stared at the haphazard collection of debris. The old man had to be kidding if he expected this trick to actually work on him. The piece didn't even look like they belonged together much less formed some family heirloom. Brightly colored bits of ceramic were mixed in with shards of plain glass, wood chips, twisted strips of metal, and even a few crumpled napkins. It was as if Genma had just scooped up a handful of trash from some random dumpster and spread it over the ground.

"What do you think I am, stupid?!" Ranma snapped at his father. "That's just some-"

"I'm so sorry!"

Ranma stopped in mid-sentence and turned to face the new voice: the girl he had vaulted over. She was staring in shock at the "family heirloom," seemingly horrified by what she saw. Ranma started to say something but was stopped as his father nudged an elbow into his side. He glanced up at Genma in annoyance, but the old man started speaking. "It's alright Miss, it's not your fault. If only my incompetent son here had been more careful, this could have been avoided." Genma made a great show of sighing in sorrow. "Alas, we must now return as slaves to the sweat shops and work 13 hours a day with no food or break for another year in order to earn the money to repair the treasure..." The old martial artist knelt down with another bitter sigh and began carefully gathering the pieces of the "heirloom" together, treating each bit as if it were some priceless artifact.

Ranma, however, was getting just about fed up with his father and on the verge of kicking the old man in the back of the head for this stupidity when the girl suddenly cried out, "This is my fault! Please, let me pay for it!"

Genma looked up at the girl, his eyes glinting mischievously, and suddenly Ranma understood his father's intentions. Ranma scowled and started to kick the old man anyway when his stomach growled hungrily. He paused, glanced down at his stomach and then at the meat bun in his hand, which suddenly looked very small and unappetizing. He looked at his father, who was kneeling on the ground and staring up at the girl in apparent surprise at her offer. Then he looked at the girl who now stood straight and stiff as an arrow, her head bent down and a small purse held in front of her in offering.

Ranma's stomach growled again, and the decision was made.

* * *

Ranma quickly scooped up another bowl of rice and fish into his mouth, barely chewing and nearly swallowing the thing whole. He washed it down with a cup of tea and gave a satisfying burp. "Hey!" he shouted at a passing waiter, pounding loudly on the table. "Some more food here!" The man gave a strained smile but nodded, and Ranma leaned lazily back in his chair. Across the table, Genma inhaled a bowl of ramen and echoed his son's demand for more food before leaning back against his chair with a satisfied burp.

Ranma eyed his father in amusement. "So the "Saotome Family Heirloom" is only worth the price of a meal for two huh?"

Genma looked at his son and raised an eyebrow. "So you wanted more money? Taking advantage of an innocent girl, what kind of son did I raise?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "That's not what I said, and this was your idea, not mine!"

Genma snickered and waved at the bowls and plates of finished food. "You seem to be enjoying it just the same."

Ranma shifted uncomfortably and stared down at the table, feeling a tiny twinge of guilt as he remembered the girl's worried face.

Noticing his son's discomfort, Genma leaned forward. "Look Ranma, we do what we have to do." There was a serious look in the man's eyes, a flash of rough roads and an uncertain life from one meal to the next—a life father and son had shared for the past 8 years. And just as quickly as it had come, the look passed, and Genma was leaning back in his chair again, grinning. "And on the scale of things we have to do, this isn't so bad!"

Ranma stared at his father incredulously for a second before rolling his eyes and turning away, giving a short half-laugh. Any remaining twinge of guilt he felt faded away as he saw the server returning with another bowl of food.

The two ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the hot, freshly-prepared food. It was the first quality-food they had in weeks, since they had left Akita. They had been traveling constantly on the road since then, heading for Tokyo. It had been a long trip with many misadventures; and now that they had finally arrived, Ranma wondered what they were going to do.

"Hey Pops, what are we doing in Tokyo anyway?" Ranma asked in-between mouthfuls.

Genma swallowed and looked at his son as if he had just asked something incredibly obvious. "Training," he said simply. It was what they did everywhere for the past eight years.

Ranma downed a cup of tea and gave Genma an exasperated look. "I know that, but why Tokyo?" Whenever his father headed for a particular place, it usually meant there was something important there that could help him with his training. Sometimes it was a special training ground; usually it was some school with a unique style of martial arts Genma wanted Ranma to study. He could think of many famous schools that had dojos in Tokyo, and he was curious which one Genma thought worthy of their attention. It had been a year since Ranma had last studied with another master, and even that had only been for a few weeks. Genma had withdrawn him from the school after it became obvious that he surpassed the other students by far and there wasn't anything useful that the master was willing to teach.

Whatever the reason, Ranma wanted to know what it was to cause them to travel this far so suddenly. They had barely been at their old place—a rundown shack in a bad part of town—a week before Genma had woken him up one day and told him they were going to Tokyo.

"Some kind of special martial arts school?" Ranma asked after he had finished another bowl of rice and his father still hadn't replied.

Genma paused, a strange, distant look on his face as Ranma regarded him curiously. Finally, the man looked up and said "No, we're just going to settle down here for awhile."

Ranma blinked in surprise. That hadn't been the answer he was expecting. He stared as the old man resumed eating. Settling down for awhile…? Ranma chewed the thought over for a few minutes. It wasn't so much that "settling down" as Genma put it was unusual, but that Genma had given it as a reason—eight years on the road and Genma had never once said they were going to settle down—though it happened for short whiles often enough. Settling down for the sake of settling down...? That was a little weird. Ranma mulled over the thought for a few more seconds and finally just shrugged, turning his attention back to eating as much as he could. Whatever. As long as he got fed he didn't really care why they were here.

* * *

Ranma gave a loud burp and slouched down on his chair, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction. He looked at his old man, who did the same before calling for the check.

"Good meal boy?" Genma asked with a grin.

Ranma grinned back. "Great meal!"

Ranma allowed himself to relax and enjoy the ambience of the restaurant as they waited for the check. He closed his eyes and listened to the soft murmur of conversation, taking in the rich smells of the restaurant and enjoying the pleasant feeling of having a full stomach for the first time in weeks. It had been awhile since he had such a good meal, and right now he felt like taking a nice long nap. He hoped Genma had found a place to stay or even just had a site picked for their tent.

After what felt like a long while, in which he thought he might have drifted off to sleep, Ranma heard Genma saying something. The young boy opened an eye and watched as Genma got out of his chair, placing the check and a stack of yen on the table. "Er… Ranma, I'm going to go to the bathroom. If they ask for the bill pay them for me okay?"

Before Ranma could reply, Genma had walked off, heading for the bathroom. A small part of the young martial artist shouted a warning that the old man was up to something but was overwhelmed by that lazy feeling that always gripped him after a good meal. Ignoring the warning, Ranma closed his eyes and leaned back again.

He stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity, drifting in and out of sleep. Eventually, he started hearing an urgent voice calling to him through his sleepy veil. "Sir? Excuse me, sir?" Since it wasn't his father, Ranma ignored the voice. Who the heck would call him sir? "Sir?" This time somebody shook him and Ranma jumped slightly, his eyes snapping open as he turned towards whoever had woken him up.

"What?" he snapped in annoyance, regarding a man who appeared to be a waiter holding what looked like a bill in one hand and a stack of yen in the other.

"Your bill, sir? You need to pay it." The man seemed to have an edge of annoyance in his own voice as well.

Ranma looked at the stack of yen in the man's hand, an eyebrow raised. "Uh… you're holding it."

"It isn't enough," the man replied quickly, as if he had been waiting for that answer. His eyes narrowed now as he waited for Ranma's reply.

Ranma blinked, not understanding. "What are you talking about, that's what my dad left for the food."

"Well then your father didn't leave enough," the server replied carefully.

Slowly, understanding began to sink into Ranma and he fidgeted uneasily. "Look," he said. "Just wait until he gets back and he'll have the rest okay? He just went to the bathroom."

The server replied slowly, but it was clear that he was beginning to get impatient. "Your father left. He said you would take care of the bill."

And then Ranma knew with certainty that Genma had stuck him with the bill. Again. He slapped himself on the forehead and jumped to his feet. He was angrier that he had fallen for the trick—again—than that the old man had actually done it. Going to the bathroom! How in the world did he fall for something so stupid?!

Ranma took a deep breath and then looked at the waiter who stared back at him tensely. He had a feeling where this was going to go—already other waiters had stopped their work and were eyeing the two cautiously. A few started making their way towards him and, off to a side, Ranma could see the owner and his wife watching the scene carefully. Yeah, he knew how this was going to end… but still, he could try.

"I don't have the money-"

Before Ranma could finish his explanation, the waiter cut him off, yelling at him "What do you mean you don't have it! You two have been here for hours and you don't have the money?!"

Ranma glanced around nervously, seeing several other waiters surrounding him now and the owner and his wife heading over. "Hey, this isn't my fault! My old man stuck me with the bill okay?!"

"So that gives you the right to order us around like dogs and have a free meal?" the waiter snapped back angrily, seeming to be releasing some pent up rage.

Ranma glanced at the table piled full of plates and bowls. "Well actually it was more like a bunch of meals."

The server twitched as his anger mounted. "That makes it even worse!"

"Hey! I'm just trying to say it's not like I'm ripping you off or anything!" Ranma pointed at the stack of yen in the server's hand. "You have that huge stack of money right there!""

"It's not nearly enough!"

"Look at how big it is! How the heck can it not be enough?!" Ranma demanded incredulously.

The waiter started counting out the money aloud in front of Ranma while the other waiters, all of whom had served Ranma and Genma at some point, stared at Ranma menacingly. Ranma glared back at all of them defiantly.

"Kyuichi, what's the problem here?" Everybody turned to look at the restaurant owner as he approached. A stout, bearded man, he came to a stop by the waiter angrily counting out Ranma's money—Kyuichi no doubt—and stood by his wife regarding the scene carefully.

"This kid is trying to cheat us! He's been eating here for hours ordering us around like slaves but he doesn't have enough for half of what he ordered—he never intended to pay!"

"Who's cheating who?!" Ranma shot back hotly. "I can't believe you're actually charging money for this stuff!"

If it hadn't already, a downright hostile atmosphere began building up and everybody else in the restaurant was watching the scene nervously now, expecting trouble. The owner eyed Ranma silently, not looking pleased. Still, the man retained his composure and looked like he was carefully choosing his words

It was the wife who spoke first though. A large, big-boned woman, she pulled herself up and glowered down at Ranma. "Now listen here you little brat! Don't think we're going to let a dirty little thief like you get away with this! You go call your father right-"

Though already steeled for the confrontation from years of experience in similar situations on the road, Ranma still winced at the woman's words. "Who're you calling a brat, you fat hag!" he shot back instinctively."

There was a long moment of silence after that as everybody seemed to stare at Ranma in shock while he glared defiantly back. Then, there was a scream from somewhere and Ranma was suddenly on top of the table dashing away from an enraged woman. The next thing he knew he was running out the door with a large portion of the restaurant staff and the owner's wife right behind him.

* * *

Ranma finally stopped running and leaned against a bench, breathing heavily. He couldn't believe they had chased him for so long, or that they could even keep up with him for that matter. He had weaved in and out of the city through crowded streets, over cars and down narrow alleys—places that were supposed to be _hard_ for a group to follow. Once, he had even run through a large department store, causing quite a lot of commotion in fact; but no matter what he did, the shouts and curses of the restaurant's staff, led by the screaming wife of the restaurant's owner, seemed not too far behind. Finally, however, after what seemed like an eternity of running, it had gotten dark and he managed to lose them. Even after that he had kept running for nearly half an hour just to make sure they couldn't possibly follow him.

Catching his breath, though his heart was still pounding from the exertion, Ranma straightened up and took stock of his surroundings. It was completely dark now, the sun having long since slipped beneath the horizon. Somehow, he had ended up in a large park, and, all around him, there was only dead silence and trees shrouded in deep shadows. The leaves rustled eerily in the wind, and Ranma shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea where he was, and though he was used to traveling through dark, empty forests something about this place set him on edge. The place just felt too… empty. Not a rustle of life, not even the chirp of a cricket could be heard. It seemed to Ranma that, being in a large city, there should at least be some people wandering the park.

That he stood by a wooden bench on a paved concrete path lit, though very sparingly and to almost no effect, by widely spread lampposts only served to heighten the sense of emptiness to Ranma. With all these _signs_ of people here, it just somehow seemed… wrong that there wasn't so much as another soul in sight.

And as the desolate silence and emptiness of the place started to take its toll on the young boy's already-frayed nerves, then even the pale moonlight suddenly faded away behind a group of dark clouds. The shadows grew deeper and darker, seeming to be almost alive—long dark slivers stretching out at him like claws. His stomach suddenly twisting, he began quickly walking down the path, wanting to leave this place.

He hurried down the path, his light footsteps echoing into the darkness. The soft claps thundered in the silence and made him tense with an irrational fear that it was attracting shadowy figures stalking him in the darkness; but the thought only made him walk quicker, his staccato steps coming faster and faster, louder and louder, rising to a crescendo with the pounding in his chest until he thought he might go mad, might—and all of a sudden the sound drowned away in the rush of a cold wind.

The boy froze as it blew past him, almost seeming to moan sadly. He shivered and rubbed his arms, a foreboding sense of loneliness mixed with fear seeming to cut into his bones as the terrible gust wrapped around him, its despairing cry filling his ears. After a moment, it passed, fading away and leaving only silence again. But in its wake the air now felt somehow thick and oppressive, wrapping around him almost as if it were trying to smother him. Suddenly, the shadows seemed to press around him, the few dim lamps fading and flickering ominously like so many blinking eyes peering at him from the shadows. Desperately, he looked around for an escape.

The flash of moonlight off water beckoned to his left, and the boy hurried towards it. The light spread and grew, dancing mysteriously in the distance even as he fell off the path and into the shadowy embrace of the trees. Keeping his eyes on the light even as everything else faded around him, he kept walking, falling deeper into darkness. Around him shadows loomed menacingly, and a vague and a half-forgotten sense of terror began to stir deep within as he felt more and more pressed in. All around he began to hear movement—in the swaying of the trees and the rustling of the leaves—as if a thousand eyes on twice as many feet were hungrily stalking him; but the boy kept his sight on the dancing moonlight in the distance, and even as he felt more and more like he was falling down into some endless pit, he nonetheless, impossibly, felt like he was _escaping_.

Finally, after what felt like a cold eternity of walking, he stepped out of the dark forest and a large lake, sparkling beautifully under the moonlight, spread majestically before him. He stared at the dancing waters, his breath caught by its nocturnal beauty, and the oppressive feeling around him seeming to lift for a second. After a moment, however, he could it feel it beginning to return, grasping at him from all around, and he instinctively headed towards the water.

But after only a few steps, he stopped, his heart jumping slightly as he suddenly saw the slender figure of a girl sitting by the edge of the lake. She was facing the waters, her dark hair seeming to stretch into an endless shadow that wrapped around her; but at the same time moonlight danced all about, making her glow like some dark yet alluring vision. He hadn't seen her at all before, but something about her told him that she had been there all along, draped in the melancholy darkness as if she… belonged there The boy tensed, feeling frightened by and yet strangely drawn to this mysterious figure stepped out of some tragic fairy tale.

A part of him screamed at him to leave, that oppressive sense of terror from before seeming to grow each second he stood staring at the mysterious figure; but at the same time, something… something about her kept him rooted: a familiar sense of... And all of a sudden the girl turned and all he could see were deep, dark eyes. Everything around him seemed to fade away as he was caught by those endless orbs. They seemed to suck him in, pulling him into their depths. He could see sorrow, loneliness and… tragedy in them; but even more than that they seemed to bore into his own soul. There was no fear, no terror, but he felt an unusual sense of disquiet inside him, many strange and dark emotions shifting around within his chest as if they were slowly being drawn out into those eyes that stared at him as if they knew everything.

"It's you," the girl said softly, turning her eyes away; and suddenly the spell was broken. Ranma blinked, feeling as if he had just woken up from some strange dream and all at once the dark and foreboding atmosphere seemed to fade away. The shadows seemed lighter, the wind comfortable and the lake sparkled beautifully. Soon even the memories of the vivid emotions he had felt just minutes ago began to fade, leaving behind only vague impressions of discomfort. There was still a sense of mystery all around, but where before it had been subtly terrifying now it seemed soft and alluring.

Releasing a breath he didn't know he had been holding, he regarded the girl looking up at him. After a second, he finally recognized her as the one who he had jumped over earlier. Startled, he jumped back, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You!" he shouted instinctively, not sure what to say or even what he was doing. But somehow all the problems of the afternoon and the disorienting surge and fading of emotions from just before shook him and seemed to coalesce into this girl before him. "You!" he shouted again, eyes wide. "It's all your fault!"

The girl's eyes widened and for a second seemed to flash with guilt and pain. She softly bit on her lip and lowered her eyes, as if she were trying to hold back tears. Then, she pushed herself back up and quickly bowed her head. "I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," the girl said, and quickly turned and walked away.

Ranma stood staring, mouth open and finger still pointing in accusation as the girl left. Once again he was struck by her strange behavior. She had… apologized to him? Suddenly he remembered how Genma had conned her this afternoon and he shifted guiltily. He glanced at her retreating back and in his mind saw the image of her staring up at him from the ground, once in the day and again at night. Both times, he realized, those dark eyes had stared at him sad, lonely, and… scared. In both light and dark they had been the same.

An unusual pang of guilt hit Ranma in the gut as he realized what he had just said to her in relation to what… he… had done to her. It was a completely strange and unusual moment of clarity for the young martial artist and he quickly ran after the girl.

"Hey!" he shouted as he caught up with her. "Hey, wait up!" The girl stopped and turned around, looking at him uncertainly. He stopped and looked at her carefully, not really sure what he was doing. "Hey," he repeated again.

The girl opened her mouth but quickly closed it, as if she didn't know what to say. Glancing down, Ranma could see that her hands were clutched nervously on her skirt, and Ranma felt another unusual stab of guilt. The girl looked so lost and confused.

"Sorry," he finally blurted out lamely. He turned quickly away as he let the word out, feeling uncomfortable about it. It was the first time he could remember ever really apologizing for anything.

The girl, for her part, stared at him in surprise, as if his apology was just as surprising for her as it had been for him. She quickly opened and then closed her mouth again, apparently at a loss for words. Then she stared down at the ground, seemingly flustered.

As the last of the strange feelings from earlier passed away and he began to doubt the reasonableness of his guilty conscience, Ranma began to get annoyed. Wasn't she supposed to say "thank you" now or something? Geez, he had put himself out on the line, apologizing to her and she hadn't even acknowledged it. His awkward feelings of guilt beginning to slip away, Ranma turned back to regard the quiet girl. She looked confused and uncertain.

After a second he made a decision and extended a hand, imitating something he had seen his father do. "Ranma Saotome," he said simply, grinning proudly at her as if those two words made him the most important person in the world or at least in the park at the moment.

The girl looked up and regarded Ranma strangely, still seemingly confused by everything that was going on. But Ranma's grin and the friendly sparkle in his eyes put her at ease and she took his hand, giving a soft smile of her own. "Hotaru Tomoe," she replied.

Ranma shook Hotaru's hand, his grin softening into a smile. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

Ranma stretched a little and glanced at Hotaru. She was walking next to him, her eyes seemingly locked ahead. They had been walking for awhile now, and he was starting to wonder where they were headed. He hadn't actually said anything, hoping she would lead him out of the park, because he had no idea where he was. Ranma suddenly stopped, a strange thought hitting him.

Hotaru stopped and turned around, regarding the young martial artist curiously "Ranma?"

Ranma rubbed his chin, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked at Hotaru. "Hey, you're not following _me_ are you?"

Hotaru raised an eyebrow at the strange question. After a second though, she understood what he was really asking and smiled slightly. "I'm taking us out of the park Ranma. You said you're new to Juuban, so you don't know your way around right?"

"I said I'm new to Tokyo," Ranma answered tersely, walking back up by Hotaru and looking anywhere but at her.

"Juuban is part of Tokyo," Hotaru replied, taking the lead and feeling a little awkward. She got the feeling that she had said something wrong.

Ranma grunted. "It's not like I'm lost or anything," he half-muttered.

Hotaru didn't know what to say and continued walking, staring straight ahead. After a few minutes though, she glanced at Ranma, who seemed to be pointedly ignoring her. She shifted uncomfortably, sure she had done something wrong.

After another uncomfortable minute of silence, Hotaru asked softly, "You said earlier… that something was my fault. What did you mean?" She was half afraid of the answer. She knew it couldn't be like with the others for Ranma, but still… a part of her was afraid that maybe… she had somehow hurt him too.

"Ah, it was nothing," Ranma replied, and his voice sounded cheery and lighthearted again, the awkwardness of just seconds before seeming to have just slip off of him as if the previous few minutes had never occurred. Ranma quickly recounted the incident at the restaurant, drastically embellishing certain parts of it. "Geez, I can't believe they chased me for so long—even when I jumped on that bus they kept running after me!"

Ranma stopped, blinking as he realized Hotaru was no longer by him. The girl had suddenly stopped, falling behind. He turned around and looked at her questioningly. "What're you doing, I thought we were going to get out of the park?"

Hotaru appeared distressed. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault!" she blurted out. Ranma simply stared at her, not sure what was going on. "If I hadn't broken your family heirloom you would've had enough to pay for the meal!"

The girl's word hit Ranma in the gut like a ton of bricks, nearly knocking the breath out of him. It was not only that he had conveniently forgotten that part of the story along with its attendant feelings of guilt, but he was startled once more by the girl's seeming obsession with taking responsibility for it. If it were him, he wouldn't have even paid for the "family heirloom" in the first place, much less be apologizing for the indirect consequences of its "breaking" hours later. "Hey, look now," he said quickly. "It's uh… it's not your fault okay?"

Hotaru shook her head. "I have to go pay them for you. Let's go Ranma."

Ranma coughed and fidgeted uncomfortably. "You know, maybe that's not such a good idea…"

Hotaru suddenly realized something and looked away from Ranma, biting softly on her lower lip. "I'm sorry Ranma, don't worry about it. I'll go take care of it myself." She quickly stepped past the startled martial artist, heading towards the restaurant.

Ranma stared at Hotaru incredulously as she walked away from him, seemingly in a hurry to remedy his problems. Actually, it wasn't even a problem as he had cleverly escaped without paying, so what the heck was she trying to do? He stared at the girl, conflicting feelings struggling inside him. A few moments and a flicker of a nearby lamp later, however, he realized that he was still lost and quickly ran after her.

* * *

Ranma stood by Hotaru as she talked to the restaurant owner, carefully eyeing him, the staff, and, most of all, his wife. They were all staring him down, their faces displaying emotions ranging from curiosity to outright rage. Quietly, he began to map his escape route in case things got bad.

"Well, it appears we owe you an apology son," the owner said to Ranma.

Ranma turned an eye to the owner and simply grunted. Whatever, he just wanted to get the heck out already.

"But I believe you also owe _me_ an apology." The owner's wife said, stepping forward and staring down at Ranma with open hostility. Hotaru gave Ranma a questioning look, not knowing what was going on since Ranma had left this part out of his recounting of the story. If Ranma noticed, however, he didn't show it and instead started edging back towards the exit.

"Dear," the owner started. "Maybe we should-"

"No! Stay out of this!" the woman snapped. "Well boy?" she asked expectantly, turning back towards Ranma and fixing a meaningful glare on him..

"Well what?" Ranma finally snapped back, fed up with all the pressure and hostility. "You already got your money, why do I have to apologize for your being fat?"

Hotaru stared at Ranma in open shock. There was another long moment of silence and then suddenly the much-abused wife was screaming at Ranma and there were plates, bowls and even a whole table flying through the air. Loud crashes reverberated throughout the room as the objects hit various things and Hotaru winced, frightened. Then, just as suddenly as it had started everything became quiet and the wife stood still. The rest of the restaurant staff, all in the middle of picking up various blunt instruments, also froze. They stood still, glancing around in confusion. Ranma had disappeared.

* * *

Hotaru was not sorry to feel the cool night breeze hit her as she left the restaurant. She had stayed behind to help clean up, but she had felt uncomfortable inside. The atmosphere felt too much like… school.

She took a deep breath and started to head home. Ranma had disappeared, and though a small part of her regretted that the boy had gone, she didn't really feel anything. People and faces came and went through her life, none ever staying. That was the way it had always been for as long as she could remember. Ever since her mother…

Hotaru screamed and jumped back as an upside down face suddenly appeared in front of her. "Is the fat lady gone?" it asked urgently.

Hotaru stared in shock at Ranma hanging upside down from the side of an awning in front of her, his long ponytail dangling down as he glanced around conspiratorially. Seeing that nobody, especially not a certain restaurant owner's wife, was around the dark street, he nodded (a strange image upside down) and flipped down to the ground, landing nimbly on his feet. Straightening up, he dusted himself off and looked at Hotaru. "You alright?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he saw her. She looked like she had seen a ghost… His eyes narrowed as he seemed to suddenly realize something and dropped into a low crouch, glancing around nervously. "She isn't here is she?"

Hotaru stared at Ranma, the sheer absurdity of the whole situation from the upside down boy to his apprehension towards the "fat lady" slowly making her smile. Soon she was laughing softly, her eyes sparkling as she watched Ranma.

Ranma stopped and stared at Hotaru dumbly, not understanding what was going on. He stared at this girl he had thought so quiet and strange standing there laughing at seemingly nothing. It was a sweet and lovely sound, however, and as he caught her sparkling eyes for a moment, soon he too was laughing. Together they laughed, their voices echoing down the empty streets.

After a few minutes, Hotaru stopped, though she still stifled off a giggle every now and then. Wiping away tears and feeling lightheaded, she straightened up and composed herself. It had been so long since she had laughed like that, she thought. "Ranma," she said with a smile, "I've never met anyone like you."

The young martial artist took a second to stifle off a laugh and then grinned cockily. "Of course not," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm one of a kind!" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a second and threw in as an afterthought, "You too I guess."

Hotaru giggled at the strange reply, feeling more at ease and lighthearted than she had in years. After a moment, however, she bowed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you," she said. Then she stood up and took a deep breath, though she was still smiling. "Well everything seems to be taken care of. I'd better be going home."

Ranma blinked in surprise at the sudden statement. He had forgotten that she lived here and probably had a home, family and friends of her own. For some reason he thought she might have wandered with him all night, helping him look for Genma. Feeling a little foolish, he glanced around the empty streets. He had no idea where his father was, but now that he was back here he could probably figure out the general direction they had been heading in when they arrived in Juuban. He turned back to Hotaru, who was watching him, seeming to wait for a reply.

He thought for a moment. "I'll walk you home," he decided. "It's dangerous out here, and since you seem to get into a lot of trouble…" he trailed off and glanced around, peering into shadows where thieves and bandits might be lurking.

If Hotaru thought anything about that last comment she didn't show it and simply nodded. "Thank you Ranma, I'm grateful."

Ranma came up next to her and replied simply, "Well of course you are. Not everybody gets to have Ranma Saotome watching their backs."

Hotaru laughed, turning around and heading home. As they walked off, their voices echoed down the empty streets together. Though there was not another soul in sight and the shadows pressed around them, things didn't seem so bad; because the air was cool and the sky clear, and always… was the path before them lit softly by the moonlight.

* * *

After several hours of searching, Genma finally found Ranma sound asleep on a bench not too far from their new home. As he expected, the boy hadn't managed to find their new place last night, though he actually had come very close to the building. He was only a few blocks away, in fact. Well, whatever had happened, it was still morning and no matter how tired the boy was…

Genma grabbed his son by the back of shirt and lifted him up, yelling right into his face. "Wake up Ranma! Don't think you can escape morning practice just because you were too lazy to come home last night!"

Ranma didn't immediately respond, seemingly still asleep, but after a moment slowly opened his eyes, leveling a flat stare on his father. Then, with a burst of speed and strength that belied the fact that he had just woken up, he sent his father flying backwards with an uppercut. "You stupid old man!" Ranma shouted angrily. "What kind of father are you? I can't believe you stuck me with the bill!"

Genma looked up at Ranma from the ground and pushed his glasses back up. "You can't?" he grinned. "Ranma, you warm an old man's heart."

Ranma groaned, slapping his forehead, and then dashed at his father, hoping to get him while he was still down. It was time for their morning spar.

Ranma, of course, didn't get Genma while he was still down. The old man rolled away and flipped to his feet a scant second before Ranma's foot smashed down into the spot where Genma had been. Pushing his glasses back up again, Genma dashed forward to take advantage of the opening his son had left with the attack and their ritual morning sparring session began in earnest.

Ranma weaved in and out of Genma's attacks, some so closely they actually brushed against him. He moved brilliantly and with incredible confidence for someone of his age, his movements and attacks blazingly fast. But despite his youthful energy and his father's bulk, the old man was still somehow just a little faster; and although so far no hits had been landed, Ranma knew with certainty that Genma was also far stronger.

Even more importantly the old martial artist was still more skilled, and as Ranma spun behind a straight punch and tried to take his father's back he was forced away before he had even gotten into position by a back kick. As the attack instantly linked into a swift combination of kicks and punches that quickly had Ranma pushed on the defensive, the young martial artist got the feeling that Genma was just playing with him, a few steps ahead as usual.

A single mistimed kick later and Genma suddenly burst past Ranma's defenses—a concept that after all these years Ranma still found disconcerting considering his father's bulk—and Ranma found himself being tackled to the ground. He tried to twist to a side, knowing that a hard landing on concrete would leave some painful injuries.

All of a sudden, however, he found his movement turned against him and the next thing he knew the ground was rushing up to his face. Reacting instinctively, he managed to land correctly by stretching his legs out and absorbing the impact on his forearms. Before he could so much as even breathe a sigh of relief, however, a large weight slammed down on his back and Ranma found himself pinned to the ground.

Genma laughed as Ranma squirmed underneath the heavy martial artist, yelling to be let go. "You're a little slow today, boy! You only lasted half as long as last time—it appears you're still no match for my technique."

"What the hell kind of technique is this you stupid old man?! You're just sitting on me!" Ranma tried to twist around but couldn't. Desperately, he kicked at his father.

Genma simply grabbed his son's leg, locking it to his chest, and pulled while leaning back. Ranma shouted that he gave up, slapping the ground frantically as he felt his leg being twisted off.

Laughing, Genma released his son and jumped off. Ranma groaned and pushed himself to a sitting position. Nursing his injuries, he cast a baleful eye on his father as the old man continued laughing, seeming to really be enjoying himself.

After a few minutes, Genma finally stopped. With a satisfied sigh, he turned around and started walking away. "Come on, Ranma. Let's go home and get some breakfast."

Ranma raised an eyebrow at Genma's words but jumped to his feet and started following. He was still a little angry—more annoyed than anything actually—at his father, but now he was very curious. Home… they had stayed at many places in the past eight years but Genma had rarely used the word and they hadn't had a "home" in years.

* * *

Ranma's eyes had doubled in size and his mouth hung open as he stared at their new "home" in shock. He was standing just in the doorway of an incredibly large and beautifully decorated suite in an enormous luxury apartment building. The enormous living room was beautifully furnished with leather couches and recliners as well as sparkling glass and wood tables, stands, cabinets and shelves. Light flooded through a large sliding glass balcony door on the far side of the room. Soft white curtains fluttered lightly as a breeze blew in through the open doors; and as Ranma felt it gently touch him, rustling the simple yet lovely plants in the room, he thought this was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. And it was… theirs?

He looked back at Genma, thinking this had to be some trick, maybe somebody else's apartment the old man had broken into; but the look in his father's eyes and the smile on his face told Ranma that this was really theirs.

Grinning, the young martial artist kicked off his shoes and ran into the room. Mysterious white hallways, doors and, most of all, the attached kitchen beckoned to him from all sides, but he ignored them all and jumped onto the rich beige carpet with a laugh.

Carpet! They had carpet! Laughing, Ranma rolled onto his back and started waving his arms and legs against the luxuriously soft carpet like a little kid making snow angels. From the walls, strange paintings that others would have recognized as abstract and modern art peered down and to him they looked like the strangest and most amazing things in the world—perfectly suited to this unbelievable new home of theirs.

Jumping to his feet, Ranma scoured the living room, touching and inspecting everything, a million excited questions tumbling out of his mouth, but one standing out above them all: "How long are we going to stay here?"

Genma smiled as he headed towards the kitchen. "Awhile, Ranma. You're going to start going to school here, so get used to it."

Ranma paused, his exuberance faltering a little. School… He thought about it for a few seconds. Under almost any other circumstances he would've been certain to start arguing with his father over the idea of going to school, but… he looked around their incredible new home. _Their_ new home.

"Sounds good, Pops," he said with a smile, and returned to exploring.

* * *

Genma stood staring over the side of the roof of their apartment building. It was dark now, making it difficult, but staring into the dimly lit darkness below he could just barely see the enormous and completely empty parking far down below. Just a little trip over the narrow foot-high edge of the roof and there was nothing but a long drop into that empty darkness. Empty… that was strange. An enormous and beautiful luxury apartment tower like this, and thus far there appeared to be nobody living here but him, Ranma and… her.

Genma glanced back at the figure of the woman standing hidden in the shadows of one of the large air conditioning units. "Doesn't anybody else live here?" he asked.

"A few," the woman replied. She shifted slightly and, for a moment, Genma could see her red eyes flash in the moonlight. "But for the most part, you and your son have this building to yourself."

Genma stared at the figure for a moment longer and then turned his gaze back over the roof, this time staring at the lights of the city, stretching out before him like a sea of stars. He didn't really see them, however, his mind caught up in nights long past.

"How long has it been, Genma? Nine, ten years?" the woman asked from the shadows after a long while. "And all this time you never even called." Her voice was light, the comment joking.

Genma didn't reply immediately, the humor apparently lost to him. Instead, he tensed, her words striking some chord within him. "You left right after that last battle without a word. That injury… none of us even knew if you were still alive." He sounded accusing, almost angry, but didn't look back.

"For awhile, I wasn't…" the woman replied softly. Genma was quiet, not knowing what to say. It was just like her to act so damned mysterious.

A few long minutes passed with nothing further said and, for a second, Genma wondered if maybe she had disappeared again. But then he heard her walking towards him, and suddenly she was standing by him again, the wind rustling her green hair as she stared out into the city with him just like all those years ago. "If you had known I was alive, would you have come see me?" she asked.

He didn't look at her, seeing her in his mind's eye as she had been all those years ago… as she still was now despite how much he had changed. "I'm here now," he answered simply.

A sudden gust of wind sent the woman's long hair fluttering, and though Genma still didn't look he saw her standing there as strong, silent and mysterious as the night sky; immovable and enduring against everything, even him… especially him.

"Yes Genma, yes you are." And though he couldn't see it, he could almost feel the smile behind her words—one of those rare small quirks of her lips that he had always found so beautiful.

Finally, he said, "It's good to see you again, Setsuna."

She nodded and together the two old friends stared into the night, thinking of things that were and things that might have been.


	2. Chapter 2

Sound Hearts

KaosQu

Author's Notes:

Ranma is younger here than in canon and his growth is an important part of the story. If he seems a little more immature and insecure than canon Ranma, it is likely intentional. For the same reasons, his skill level is also less impressive than canon. The Shibakouen students are also intended to be above-average fighters seasoned by constant inter-class fighting.

Chapter 2

Ranma tore another satisfied bite out of his egg-bread lunch and, after a few quick chews, gulped it down. He yawned and leaned back in his chair, casting a lazy eye around the crowded classroom and absently listening to the boisterous din. Another day at Shibakouen Junior High.

"You're back from the cafeteria early today, Ranma. Looks like you got your lunch again as usual, too." Ranma turned his head slightly to look at the young student approaching him. At first glance he appeared to be a model-student compared to the rest of the class. His blue uniform was clean and fit well with the sleeves rolled down and the shirt buttoned up. He was of average height and build, his hair simply combed down and slightly parted, a friendly smile on a lean and friendly face.

But as Ranma watched he also saw the unmistakable confidence in the young student's stride and, more than anything, those bright brown eyes that sparkled with intelligence edged with that touch of mischief and defiance that defined every other student in the room. There was no mistaking Etsuya Takemago, president of Shibakouen's infamous delinquent class 3-D.

"Of course," Ranma simply replied as Etsuya reached him and pulled a desk closer to sit on.

"Ranma, you have got to be one of the cockiest guys I've ever known." Etsuya's eyes sparkled with friendly amusement.

"Not being cocky if it's true." Ranma smirked quite cockily.

Etsuya rolled his eyes. "I heard you had a good fight with somebody from 3-A today."

"It wasn't anything special," Ranma said with a shrug. "More like a brawl if you ask me."

"Well, there's a reason we're the most infamous class in Shibakouen," Etsuya said with a grin. "And you're the latest one."

Ranma took a thoughtful bite out of his lunch. "So how about this class then? Don't you have any real martial artists in here?"

Etsuya chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Take a look around you Ranma." He waved a hand casually around the room. "We're a lot of bums, jerks, perverts and sneaks—all the worst delinquents of Shibakouen rounded up from the streets and herded into one room. Nothing so noble as a martial artist in here. We don't even have any girls!"

Ranma frowned. "No martial artists at all?"

Etsuya furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin, looking as if he just realized something. "Well we've all done a little, but yeah we do have one guy I'd call a 'real' martial artist. He's sort of… on vacation right now you could say."

Ranma's curiosity was piqued, but before he could ask anything else, the door to the room flew open and a blue-uniformed student hurtled through the air, crashing into a pile of desks where he crumpled to the ground. A scant second later, a student he recognized as Takeru burst running into the room. Skidding to a stop, he grabbed a chair, spun around and threw it back through the door, eliciting loud curses and a yelp of pain from outside.

"Come on you cowards!" he shouted out the door, standing straight up and pointing outside the room with an entire arm dramatically. Somehow, he had positioned himself so that he was standing right in the path of a beam of sunlight and fairly glowed, his handsome face smirking slightly. A gentle breeze blew in from an open window at that very second, rustling his slicked-up, spiked hair and the uniform on his well-toned body. "Don't tell me you're too scared to come in! I thought you wanted a fight, where's all your talk now?!" All in all Takeru was a very impressive sight, like something torn from the pages of a manga.

Takeru visibly flinched when, just seconds later, his challenge was answered with a rumbling battle cry, and what seemed like a flood of blue-uniformed students burst into the room screaming.

"Shit!" Etsuya cursed, hopping to his feet. He grabbed the desk he had been sitting on and flipped it straight into one of the students running towards him. "Takeru must have really pissed them off for them to actually come in here!"

Ranma jumped to his feet as well, staring at the chaos that was enveloping the room with a measure of disbelief. Takeru was smashing his fists viciously into one attacking student after another, and the rest of the class was engaged in a general melee.

"What the heck did Takeru do?" Ranma asked, kicking a chair at a pair of screaming students dashing towards him.

Etsuya hurled a bento box at another attacker's face with pinpoint accuracy and shrugged. "Steal their lunches or hit on all their girlfriends. Knowing him probably both."

* * *

Ranma peered over the line of hedges across the dark parking lot. The lights on this side were dead, which was why they had chosen it, but there was enough moonlight for him to just barely see the chain link fence surrounding the warehouse on the far side of the lot. A cold breeze blew over him, rustling the leaves of the bush and whistling eerily across the empty lot. Ranma looked around him at the five other would-be saboteurs and sighed. "Remind me again why I'm doing this," he said tiredly.

It was Etsuya who replied. "Because the other classes are getting too bold, actually attacking us in our own room today. They were overconfident but we have to strike back to teach them a lesson; and hitting 3-A's class project is just the thing."

"No, remind me why _I'm_ doing this."

Mitsuo yawned, his eyes still nearly closed even in the dead of the night, and gave Ranma a cheerful slap on the back. "Because we're friends and it'll be fun."

Takeru grinned. "And because even Mitsuo's going and Etsuya guilted you into it."

Etsuya didn't say anything, but his eyes fairly sparkled with laughter. Mitsuo was notoriously lazy, known for being able to sleep through every single school activity—even a real earthquake alarm once. They said it was all the rest he got that made him such a cheerful and overall pleasant person; whatever it was, the chestnut brown-haired boy was probably the most well-liked student in 3-D.

Ranma sighed again, and Etsuya gestured for them to move out. Koki gave Ranma a friendly wink and nimbly jumped over the hedges, his slight frame carrying him easily over as his ponytail fluttered behind him, his midnight blue locks darker than the night. As Ranma carefully scanned behind them for any sign of trouble, Takeru, Mitsuo and Etsuya made their way over the hedges and across the lot. Finally, Osamu came up next to Ranma, his giant frame still towering over the martial artist even while crouched. The giant's enormous, well muscled-body and closely shaved head gave him a terrifying look—like some monster stepping out of the shadows; but as he lay a hand as large as Ranma's head on the martial artist's shoulder, his face broke into a mischievous grin. "Loosen up Ranma, this'll be easy."

Ranma thought about it as Osamu stepped over the hedge and made his way across. That was probably true. He'd done a lot more dangerous and scary things on the road with his father. It wasn't like he was being chased down by an angry mob of townspeople or breaking into some high-security building to steal noodles (that had been a particularly stupid idea—booby-trapped laser trips and motion sensors for noodles? He would've killed Genma afterwards if he hadn't been so hungry). Well, whatever. He was here now.

They made it into the warehouse with little incident. Getting over the fence had been simple. Even if Osamu and his giant back hadn't been there for them to use as a stepping stone, Ranma could've made it over easily. He was also satisfied that the rest of the group were all physically competent, even Mitsuo. And despite some whispered jokes and light banter between them, they all seemed experienced and confident with what they were doing.

Koki picked the lock to the warehouse, and they entered a cavernous room filled with aisles of crates and boxes. They quickly spread out to look for the class project, which was reputed to be some sort of boat.

A few minutes later they heard Osamu from the back of the warehouse "Cawk caaaw! Cawk caaaw!"

Ranma blinked and looked at Takeru, who happened to be next to him. "Is that supposed to be a bird call?"

Takeru was smothering his laughter. "Whatever Etsuya wants. Osamu must've found it, let's go."

They made their way to Osamu, who was grinning broadly at them. Koki jumped lightly to the ground from the top of an aisle of crates, quipping that Osamu must be the biggest and ugliest bird he'd ever seen. Even worse than that big yellow one from the American TV show Mr. Kumagi showed them once. Mitsuo appeared with Etsuya and gave Osamu a friendly slap on his back (his shoulders were too high up to reach casually), complimenting the bird call.

Etsuya simply rolled his eyes. "You found it?"

Osamu gestured behind him at some sort of large object covered with blue tarp. On the side was a sign that read, in big red English letters, "Class 3-A Project".

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that kinda suspicious?"

Etsuya rubbed his chin thoughtfully and started looking around the room, but Takeru shrugged and started walking towards the tarp. "Hey, if it says 3-A project it says 3-A project. They probably didn't expect us to be able to read English. C'mon, what're we going to do? Burn it?"

Osamu grinned and pulled out a marker as large as a kitchen knife. "I'm going to draw penises on it."

Takeru snickered. "Very mature, Osamu."

"Never said I was!"

"Hey, why don't we wait a little bit," Koki called out. He looked at Etsuya, who was still scanning the room, squinting in the dark and trying to make out their surroundings.

"Yeah, we're in no hurry. Let's just relax," Mitsuo agreed, sitting down with a yawn to lean against a large crate.

"You think it's a trap?" Ranma asked Etsuya.

Etsuya looked at Ranma. "Well, if it is a trap chances are we're already in it…" he trailed off as Takeru and Osamu pulled off the tarp.

"See, everything's fine!" Osamu said. "It's a pile of old wood. They must be using it to make their boat."

Ranma's jaw dropped and Etsuya tensed; but before anybody could say anything else the room flooded with light, nearly blinding them for a moment.

Ranma could hear Etsuya sigh. "I hate being right."

Ranma's vision was just clearing up when from somewhere above he heard someone shout out "GET THEM!"

As the command echoed throughout the warehouse, what looked like hundreds of blue-uniformed students began streaming down stairs from metal walkways around the room and seemingly burst out of boxes and crates in every direction. A door opened and a dozen vicious-looking dogs rushed out, more pulling than being led by the students clinging to their leashes.

Takeru slapped his head and Osamu screamed, "You got to be kidding me! What is this the entire school?!"

"Plan B!" Etsuya shouted, punching a fist into the air.

"What the heck's Plan B?" Osamu demanded incredulously.

"RUN!" and with that Etsuya started running back towards the entrance.

It was then that all hell broke lose. For the next few frantic minutes or hours, Ranma wasn't sure what exactly was going on. It was as if, as soon as Etsuya had shouted for them to run, a floodgate had opened. His vision still a little blurry, Ranma simply started running back in the direction he came. Blue uniforms with snarling faces appeared in front of him, and he weaved through wild attacks—everything from kicks and punches to large blunt objects swinging at his head. He lashed out when he could with his own vicious attacks, sending bodies flying in every direction; but the nearly deafening din, as if everyone in the world were screaming, and his own pounding heart was making him slip and make mistakes. He was getting hit and pushed back—two students appeared to replace every one he took down—and he felt like he was about to drown in the sea of his opponents. They managed to pull him to the ground through sheer numbers and he felt blows raining on his body. He took them, teeth clenched, yanking his arms wildly to free them and kicking frantically at all and everything. He couldn't see the ceiling anymore— only a wall of fists and faces.

Adrenaline surged through his body. He threw vicious elbows and pushed off violently to a side, slamming his shoulder into knees and knocking enemies over. He felt them fall over him, shutting out the light. He crawled and crawled through a dark, dank tunnel of squirming flesh and sticky sweat, struggling to pull free of the mass of students all around him and, finally, somehow, he made it out and jumped back to his feet and into the blinding light. He was immediately set upon by two students. One he sent flying with a powerful uppercut, the other he grabbed as he came up from the punch and threw back at the giant pile of bodies he had just escaped.

Ranma screamed, and if it could be said that it wasn't complete chaos before it definitely was now. The young boy just kept pushing and pushing. All he saw were blurred blue bodies and attacks, and all he felt was the pounding of his heart and the suffocating warmth of the bodies around him. Around him he heard only battle cries, screams of pain and the barking of dogs. Sometimes he caught glimpses of his classmates: Koki darting around like a shadow; Takeru swinging his fists with grim determination as blood poured down his face; Osamu swinging and throwing students and dogs in every direction, his shirt torn and his eyes red, his mouth howling a perpetual berserker's cry.

And then, all of a sudden, for some reason the sea seemed to thin. The wall of enemies lessened and he could vaguely see a set of doors just ahead. A group of students appeared in front of him only to be knocked down as a crate fell on them. From the corner of his eyes he saw a disheveled Mitsuo wave and give him a tired smile. Was that the exit? He stopped, not sure what to do for a moment.

He felt someone pull at his arm and looked to his side. It was Koki. He pointed towards the doors, shouting something Ranma couldn't hear, and started running towards them.

Ranma started to follow but spared a single look back. He realized then that the bulk of the enemy was behind him. He saw Takeru struggling to cut through the enemy line. Osamu was not far behind him, rolling through the mass of attackers, three of them and two dogs clinging to his body attempting to pull him down. On top of a nearby crate was Etsuya, shouting instructions Ranma couldn't hear over the roar of the battle. He was kicking down students as they tried to climb up to reach him and had a band of throwing knives across his chest, which he threw with pinpoint accuracy to help clear a path for Takeru and Osamu.

Ranma almost stopped, but cutting through the madness, he suddenly heard Koki's voice urgently calling to him. Turning back around, Ranma burst through the exit and into the night, the air hitting him like a splash of cold water. Ahead he saw Koki and Mitsuo disappearing into the shadows. Behind him he heard shouts and more footsteps, maybe his friends, maybe pursuit. He didn't know, he just kept running.

* * *

Ranma wasn't sure where he was, or even how long he had been running for. As soon as he had caught up with Koki and Mitsuo, they were ambushed by another group—maybe assigned to guard the exits. They had been fresh, and the fight was difficult. The trio had barely knocked the last enemy unconscious when they saw another group coming towards them, dogs running in the lead. They quickly decided that their best chance of escape was to split up and make a run for it.

They weren't sure if Etsuya and the others had made it out and Ranma had wanted to go back, but both Koki and Mitsuo told him that Etsuya had specifically ordered them to escape while he went back to help Takeru and Osamu.

So Ranma ran and ran as fast as he could—the Saotome Final Attack in all its glory. He ducked into alleys, jumped over walls and did his best to lose pursuit. They were surprisingly adept at chasing him; but it was working, and gradually the sounds of pursuit began to fade away. After awhile all he could hear were the quick staccato steps of the dogs and a few shouts further back.

Almost! The path began to darken and he vaguely noticed more trees appearing around him. There was a familiar twinge inside of him, but he barely noticed it, his heart still pounding and the adrenaline still coursing through his body.

He squinted as he saw someone, a girl in a skirt, down the otherwise empty path. "Hey! Get out of the way!" he shouted, not slowing down for a second. The girl turned abruptly, startled by his shout. Her short dark hair rustled slightly in the wind, and she gave him a confused look, her violet eyes sparkling softly in the dim lamplight. Ranma almost skid to a stop, recognition flooding him. Her!

But then he heard the dogs barking behind him, seemingly closer now, and he picked up his pace, continuing to barrel towards her. "What're you deaf?! I said get outta the way!"

The girl hesitated, frozen like a deer in headlights. Rather than slow himself down by adjusting his course, Ranma gave a frustrated sigh and jumped into the air and over her again. One hand came down, pushing lightly off her head and sending him easily over. Prepared this time, he landed softly and kept running. Behind him, he heard her give a small cry as she fell down. He didn't look back—Saotome Final Attack: get the hell out of there as fast as possible!

He had only run about 30 feet out, however, when he finally did skid to a halt as the girl gave out a piercing, frightened scream. He hesitated for a second, still thinking he should run. They were after him anyway, she'd be okay...! But the sudden torrent of barking from behind, as if the dogs had finally cornered their prey, told him otherwise and with a frustrated sigh he spun around, dashing back as fast as he could.

He saw her instantly, just ahead, propped precariously by one arm on the ground. She was seemingly frozen in fear, staring away from him at the dogs. He took a running jump and flew over her, landing in a slight crouch right in front of her. His heart pounded and his muscles tensed in anticipation of killer dogs leaping for his throat.

But none came. He slowly looked around him, still tense and uneasy but now confused. The dogs stood in a rough half circle around them, growling softly and shifting their feet restlessly, but none of them came forward. A lamp flickered and Ranma suddenly felt a strange, icy feeling gripping his stomach. The dogs began to back away, almost as if they were scared. And maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, or some effect of the flickering lamp, but as the dogs backed off it was almost as if the shadows extended towards them, spreading outwards from him and… the girl?

Ranma spun around and for just a second he saw a flash of yellow, as if something were glowing, something cold and oppressive that almost seemed to smother him. And then, just as quickly, it was gone and he saw the girl collapse to the ground. He blinked, staring at her crumpled form, his mind still not registering what exactly was going on.

He was shaken out of his stupor, however, as he heard voices coming from further back down the path. Looks like they were about to catch up to him. Shaking his head, he picked the girl up, threw her over his shoulder, and ran away as quickly as he could.

* * *

After unceremoniously dropping the girl down, Ranma dropped to his knees and nearly collapsed face-forward into the ground, only barely holding himself up by his arms. He breathed heavily, his body shaking as the adrenaline rushing through him finally began to fade away. Finally, he thought to himself exhaustedly. He had finally gotten away.

He shifted his head just slightly to a side, looking at the girl. She had long since regained consciousness, but he had carried her the entire way, afraid that she would slow him down. She had been tense and gripped his shirt tightly the entire bumpy ride but hadn't uttered a single word of complaint.

She looked confused, not sure what was going on or what she should do. She sat with her legs underneath her, staring down quietly at her hands clenched together on her lap.

As Ranma slowly regained his breath he wondered if she would ever say anything or even move. What was her name again? He couldn't quite remember—something with an H right? Taking a deep breath and shaking his head clear, he pushed himself back to a sitting position, leaning heavily on his arms again. He stared at her, and she slowly lifted her head back up, returning his gaze hesitatingly.

"You sure cause a lot of trouble, you know that?" Ranma finally said, feeling slightly annoyed as he thought about what had just happened. She flinched, turning away from him, but Ranma didn't seem to notice. "Man, I can't believe I had to go back to save you. I could've escaped days ago if I didn't!"

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I never wanted to hurt anybody." She turned away, her face pained and, even through his thick skin, Ranma felt a stab of guilt. He had been expecting her to argue with him and blame him for having dogs chasing him or jumping over her, or anything really other than this quiet apology. She was just like this last time too, he realized.

He opened his mouth and started to say something when all of a sudden he felt her hands around his. He blinked and almost drew back, but there was something in the soft coolness of her hands that comforted him and put him at ease.

"You're injured," she said softly, lifting his arms up slightly and gently pulling his sleeves back. He looked down. He was indeed injured. His knuckles were bruised and bloody and numerous cuts and scrapes ran up the length of his arms.

"Ah, it's nothing," he said quickly, though somewhat truthfully, as he took note of his injuries. He had been through worse. He started to pull his hands away but she held them firmly. He looked up at her quizzically. "Hey, don't worry. None of this was your fault alright? I'm not mad at you or anything."

Even he was surprised by the sincerity in his voice—he really didn't want her to be worrying about any of this anymore. Hundreds of other angry and downright furious people had screamed and threatened him over some transgression or another but not once could he remember ever feeling this way. The girl's quiet apology had done what anger and violence never could.

She seemed taken aback and gave him an uncertain smile. He was a little relieved to see her maybe feeling better, but he still wanted his hands back and pulled at them again. But she squeezed his hands, and something in the gentleness of her touch made him stop; though any other time he would've felt incredibly dumb sitting there holding hands with a girl in the dark.

"I can help you," she said. He stared at her blankly but she looked back down at his arms, and all of a sudden he felt a soothing warmth wash over his hands. He looked down and was shocked to see her hands glowing with a soft yellow aura that enveloped his own. His first instinct was to jerk away, but there was something comforting and familiar about the light—about her—and he didn't move. As he watched, he saw the purple-blue bruises on his knuckles begin to fade away, the cuts closing and disappearing without leaving so much as a scar. Pain he hadn't noticed before vanished into the gentle warmth, and in a few short seconds, his hands looked just like they had that morning. Letting go of his hands then, she cupped her hands over one of his arms and slowly moved the aura up one arm and then the other. Wherever the yellow light went, cuts and bruises disappeared until his arm was smooth and clear again.

In less than half a minute she was done and drew away. Ranma didn't see her wince as she finished, almost collapsing and breathing heavily. He lifted his arms in front of him and stared at them in wonder. He ran his hands over his skin, searching for any sign of the injuries he had sustained, but found nothing. It was as if the fight that night hadn't happened at all!

"That's amazing!" he exclaimed, staring at her with genuine awe.

She seemed surprised at his words, but when he continued to stare at her with open amazement, she worked up a tired smile. "Thank you. Do you have anymore injuries?"

Ranma blinked, suddenly realizing how tired she looked. She was leaning heavily on one arm, the other pressed against her chest, which was heaving with her breaths. "Um, no. Don't worry about it," he said quickly, though he did indeed have a few more injuries he hadn't managed to block with his arms.

"That's good," she said, and Ranma could tell she was struggling to get her breathe back. Apparently, whatever she did took a toll on her. He felt a stab of guilt that she had done this for him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She gave him another surprised look, as if she hadn't been expecting that question. "I'm okay. It's just a little tiring, and you had a lot of injuries."

"Oh," Ranma said, not sure what else to say. So she was going to be okay right? "How'd you do that?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know. It's just something I've always been able to do." She sounded neither proud nor pleased, simply tired.

"It's amazing!" Ranma said again, his genuine awe at her ability evident in his voice and face. He was almost smiling.

She shook her head, looking back down at the ground. "My classmates don't think so. They're scared of me because of what I can do."

"That's pretty stupid," Ranma declared simply.

"They say I hurt them sometimes… Like I did today with you." She became very quiet and still, staring down at the ground, her breathing the only sound.

Ranma flinched, feeling an incredible blow of guilt for what he had said earlier, especially after she had just healed him. "Look, I said it's not your fault, and that thing is still really amazing okay?" And with that he turned around and stared at nothing in particular. He sat in awkward silence, listening to her slowly regain her breath and refusing to look at her.

Gradually her breathing slowed, and after a little bit of time she seemed normal again. He looked at her and she looked at him hesitatingly, as if she wasn't sure what to do. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, however, she stood up and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry for everything, but it was nice to see you again Ranma Saotome." She turned around and walked away.

He didn't know why, but Ranma felt startled by her departure. He started to get up but hesitated. He opened his mouth to call her name and realized he still didn't remember what it was. Dammit, he cursed silently, staring at her back as she walked away. He clenched his eyes, trying to remember her name. What was it, what was her name? He tried to think back to her the night he had met her, seeing her smiling at him in her red green uniform, when all of a sudden an image of her sitting by a lake appeared in his mind. She seemed sad and lonely, half-hidden in the night shadows; but her violet eyes gleamed in the moonlight, seeming to draw him in, and...

"Hotaru!"

She stopped, turned around and looked at him curiously. He didn't say anything, not quite sure what he was doing or why he had called her back.

After a second, she smiled. "You remember my name. I thought you had forgotten."

He got to his feet and walked towards her. So that was her name. "Hey, let me walk you home again, Hotaru."

Her eyes widened as if she were surprised by his offer. But she quickly regained her composure and nodded. "Thank you Ranma, I'd like that." And for a moment, Ranma thought that the way her eyes sparkled as she smiled was rather pretty.

* * *

Ranma didn't even realize he was smiling as he walked Hotaru home. He hadn't even been aware how stressed and tense he had been since that big fight at the warehouse, but now that he was able to just casually walk down the street enjoying the night air again, he felt incredibly relaxed. And though he wouldn't admit it, it was nice to have Hotaru to talk to. In all the insanity, he had forgotten that he had actually had a very calm and pleasant walk to her home with her the first night he had met her.

Hotaru turned out to be very easy for Ranma to talk to, probably partly because she was very good at quietly listening to him. He told her excitedly about his new school and the lunchtime fights for food and how he dominated it every day. He told her about the attack on the classroom today and the counterattack and ambush at the warehouse. He glazed over the fear and confusion lightheartedly, focusing on his martial prowess and how he had fought off so many students. He also mentioned briefly his classmates and how they fought pretty well. He admitted he was a little worried about Etsuya, Takeru and Osamu, but he was sure they were fine. But mostly, he talked about himself and his thoughts on Tokyo and Juuban, and Hotaru listened attentively, making a few comments here and smiling at his cocky quips there. And really it was not just because she was listening but somehow, incredibly, she seemed genuinely interested in his stories, asking question and appearing truly amazed, that made him feel so at ease talking with her.

"Tokyo's ridiculous! I don't even know where we are right now."

Hotaru smiled. "Then how are you walking me home?"

"We'll get where we have to get eventually," Ranma replied with grave profoundness. "That's one thing I've learned from being on the road so long. Doesn't matter where we start. Heck, I didn't even know where we were when we left."

Hotaru seemed surprised. "Really, you didn't?"

"Sure, why not?"

"It's just… that was the place we met last time. I thought you meant to bring us there." Hotaru smiled at him, as if trying to show that it was okay that he hadn't done it intentionally.

Ranma blinked, suddenly seeing clearly in his mind the moon-swept lake and the mysterious trees they had just left. He hadn't even really noticed his surroundings at all the entire time he had been there. He wondered how he had even found the place again. All he remembered was running with Hotaru on his shoulder and wanting to get somewhere safe. Funny that he had somehow made his way back there.

"Guess I'm pretty lucky, huh?" he finally said with a grin. Hotaru nodded, still smiling softly. "So where are we now anyway?" he asked casually.

Hotaru stopped before an ornate set of gates, her eyes sparking as she replied. "Home. You were right, we did get where we needed to get after all."

Ranma blinked as he stared at the gates. That's right, he remembered now from the other night. Hotaru lived in that huge mansion. He looked over the massive wooden structure again and was just as impressed as he was the first time.

"Thank you for walking me ho-" Hotaru's gasped and cut off, a pained expression twisting her face. She clutched her chest, falling back against the gate, and Ranma rushed to her side, steadying her.

"Hey! Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, helping her lean against the gate.

She nodded slowly though she was almost doubled over, clutching her chest and breathing in quick, shallow breaths. She started shaking and Ranma nearly jumped, not sure what to do. After a few long moments it stopped and Hotaru straightened up.

"I… I'm sorry…" she muttered tiredly. "I get these… fits sometimes. My health…" she trailed off, her face pale and her eyes unfocused.

Ranma fidgeted uncomfortably, confused by this frail and sickly-looking girl before him. He couldn't understand anyone being so weak and tired—maybe never could. "Um… come on, let's get you home," he finally said after awhile, pulling one of her arms around his neck. She nodded and opened the gate, and together they walked towards the front door.

They had just gotten to the large wooden entrance when it opened. A tall, dignified looking man with white hair and spectacles appeared, a worried expression on his face. "Hotaru!" he exclaimed.

Hotaru looked up and smiled weakly. "Hello Papa."

The man took Hotaru by her shoulders and Ranma let him help her into the house. "Are you okay Hotaru? When did you have this attack?"

"Just right now Papa. It's okay, Ranma helped me. I..." She pushed herself up forcefully and turned around to look at Ranma, leaning heavily on her father now. "I'm okay now," she finished after a moment.

The tall man looked at Ranma and gave him a thankful smile. "I'm Hotaru's father, Professor Soichi Tomoe. Thank you very much for your help young man." He extended a hand which Ranma took and shook firmly. He seemed like a nice guy.

"No problem sir." He said, not sure what else to say. "Just, uh… make sure Hotaru's okay, alright?"

Soichi nodded. "Of course Ranma, don't worry about Hotaru at all. Would you like to come in for a bit? I can call a cab for you."

"Nah, it's alright. I know where I am now so I'll just walk home," he gave Hotaru a quick grin, and she smiled weakly back at him.

"Are you sure? Where do you live?"

Ranma rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment. What was the name of the place again? "Erm… oh yeah, the Meioh Condominium Tower."

The Professor's eyes lit up. "Oh, the new tower they just built! Very impressive, young man. Looks like you found yourself quite a catch, hrm Hotaru?" He smiled affectionately down at her daughter, who flushed quite red despite how pale she had seemed just a second ago.

Ranma just looked at both of them oddly, not really getting what he had just said.

"Alright, well thank you again for helping my daughter," the Professor said. "Have a safe journey home."

"No problem, I'll see you guys around I guess." He gave the two of them a quick wave and started walking away. He didn't hear them close the door and looked back. They were still standing there, watching him leave. It was a strange feeling seeing the two of them standing there in the light of the doorway. There must be a whole other world behind those doors Ranma thought—memories full of laughter and love, of family and friends. For a second Ranma felt a small tug in his chest he couldn't quite identify, except that it seemed familiar, like maybe it had been there most of his life.

Shrugging it off, Ranma exited the gate and started heading back to the apartment. His shadow seemed to dance and flicker under the streetlights but the road was quiet and empty. Feeling cold all of a sudden, he shoved his hands in his pockets and picked up his pace. It was a lonely night and only the moon was there to watch as the young boy walked the empty path, footsteps echoing quietly in the silence.

* * *

Rumors about the raid on the warehouse had already begun spreading like wildfire throughout Shibakouen by the time Ranma got to school the next day. Much of it was hearsay and speculation and yet surprisingly accurate. The fight itself had in actuality been so unusual that, for once, the wild exaggerations and fantastic stories that rumor mills normally spun weren't too far from the truth.

But it was the physical evidence that spoke volumes. Scores of students from the third-year classes returned to school the next day beaten, bruised and battered with the tell-tale signs of a ferocious battle, nearly half of them from class 3-A. Nobody had been seriously injured, but, in simple numbers, the score was interpreted as something like this:

Class 3-D: 1,000,000

Class 3-A: 5

And so while the students who fought the ambush muttered their versions of the night's events reservedly, emphasizing the fact that the saboteurs had fled, the atmosphere in 3-D's homeroom buzzed with excitement. Etsuya and the others recounted the night breathlessly, boasting about how they walked into the ambush and still managed to fight their way through a sea of a thousand enemies. They showed their injuries proudly—everything from the large cut on Takeru's forehead to the dog bites on Osamu's shoulders—and even laughed about how scared they had been at times. Their story, though no doubt also filled with exaggerations of its own, rang with the sound of truth.

And so even though the raid had technically failed, the ambush went down in Shibakouen history as another incredible exploit of the infamous class 3-D, and the already well-known fighters involved gained an even greater mystique. Etsuya's leadership and the story of how he selflessly returned to help Osamu and Takeru escape especially impressed those who heard it, earning the respect of even his enemies in 3-A.

But more than anyone it was Ranma who gained from the fight; because out of everyone involved, he was the only one to return unscathed. Every other student had some sort of injury—even the least injured student from 3-A had a few bruises—but the next morning Ranma hopped off the school wall and walked to class whistling cheerfully without so much as a scratch on his face. People had been so skeptical at first that he took to wearing his sleeves rolled up just to show that he really was uninjured. Of course, there those from the fight who continued to swear they had injured him. Ranma's only reply when anybody brought it up was to pull up his sleeves and ask if he looked injured.

And so the story spread throughout Shibakouen about the new kid in Class 3-D: Ranma Saotome, the Wild Stallion who couldn't be touched.


	3. Chapter 3

Sound Hearts

KaosQu

Chapter 3

Ranma stood by the back of the cafeteria, patiently waiting for his chance. The large room was crowded with students struggling to get their share of a limited supply of school lunches. There was no line or even any semblance of order, just a large, shambling mass of blue uniforms. They crowded together, pushing and shoving each other in an attempt to get closer to the counter, where the lunch lady threw out various types of bread. She almost never handed any out to those actually by the counter though and so near the front there was a counter push and struggle by those trying to make it back towards the center. These two opposing forces combined to create a confusing bustle of energy and violence every lunch period.

"Chicken Bread!" A piece of bread flew through the air into the crowd. A few students jumped for it and one actually caught it. As soon as he landed he was jumped upon by several others and soon a small fight was breaking out in the middle of the crowd.

"Beef Bread!" Somebody caught the beef bread and a knuckle sandwich in the face with it.

Ranma watched as several more pieces of bread were thrown out in quick succession, causing a moderate-sized fight to break out towards the left side of the crowd. There was so much violence in here it was no wonder the girls had a separate cafeteria. He had heard the lunches were much calmer—normal even—in the girl cafeteria and wondered what it would be like to be a girl and have lunch over there.

From what he had heard, Shibakouen had started out as a reform school for boys but for some reason or another—the vision of a deranged headmaster the story went—it began transforming itself into a co-ed school about ten years earlier. Much had changed since then, and in many respects Shibakouen was a rather normal school; but there were still many odd quirks and traditions around stemming from its days as an all-boys school. The aggressive nature of so many of the students and the strange lunch periods were just a few of them.

"Hey Ranma." Ranma turned away from his watch of the lunch counter for a second at the greeting and nodded at Etsuya. The wiry young man leaned against the wall next to Ranma, a half-eaten piece of bread in one of his hands. "Still haven't gotten your lunch yet?"

Ranma gave a frustrated sigh. "I'm waiting for the curry bread, but she's taking her time today." It had been ten minutes already and he still hadn't heard the lady call it out. He was starting to get hungry too.

Etsuya laughed. "You know most of us would be glad just to get lunch. I can barely believe you're standing here with that horde of starving students ready to rip each other apart in front of you picking and choosing what you want like it's some sort of buffet line."

Ranma shrugged. "I like curry bread."

Etsuya shook his head in disbelief. It wasn't that he or any number of other students at Shibakouen probably couldn't do the same—it was just too risky to be so picky. Personally, he always waited for the best opportunity to grab a lunch, whatever flavor it was… or packed his own.

"Well, I guess you're good enough that what you like matters," Etsuya said. "It kind of reminds me of when Ryoga was still around. Come to think of it, curry bread was his favorite too."

Ranma raised an eyebrow and was about to ask who Ryoga was when he saw the lunch lady prepare to throw another piece of bread out.

"Curry bread!" That was it! Without another word, he started walking towards the crowd, getting ready to jump. Curry bread was rare and she would wait a little bit before throwing it out, exciting the bread-lust in the crowd.

Etsuya took another bite and watched as Ranma prepared to get the bread. This would be quick.

He had barely finished the thought when the wall next to him exploded out, causing him to jump away in surprise and nearly drop his bread. Several other students nearby coughed, a few kneeling on the ground, rubbing their heads where debris had struck them. He waved his free hand, fanning the air and trying to see through the dust that had been thrown up. What the heck was going on?

"Thank god I made it in time for lunch!" came a familiar voice.

Etsuya's jaw dropped. "Ryoga?!"

The dust cleared and Etsuya saw that standing in front of him wearing a worn-looking blue uniform, his trademark yellow, spotted bandanna around his forehead and a giant backpack strapped to his back, was indeed Shibakouen's legendary Lost Boy: Ryoga Hibiki.

Ryoga turned towards Etsuya. "Oh hi Etsuya, it's good to see you. Did she just call curry bread?"

Etsuya nodded wordlessly, still shocked by his friend's sudden appearance, and Ryoga grinned. He un-strapped his backpack and dropped it to the ground with an enormous thud that kicked up several clouds of dust. Rolling his shoulders, he started walking towards the crowd of students. Etsuya blinked, suddenly realizing something. Several other students nearby must have too because as one they all turned and looked at Ranma.

Time seemed to slow down for Etsuya as he watched both Ranma and Ryoga run towards the crowd as the lunch lady finally threw the curry bread into the air. Ranma jumped onto the back of another student, kicking off his head and propelling himself towards the bread. Ryoga simply knelt down and pushed off the ground, his powerful legs propelling him high into the air.

Ryoga flew past Ranma, hands outstretched and reaching for the bread. Etsuya and the others watched, eyes riveted and hearts beating just a little faster. It was like watching an accident about to happen. The Lost Boy flew closer and closer, fingers just inches away from grasping the bread. Almost there—his hands were just around it!

THUMP!

Ryoga's head suddenly snapped forward as Ranma's foot slammed into the back of it. The Lost Boy hurtled to the ground and with a quick flick of the wrist, the bread was Ranma's.

* * *

The wild cheering and shouting from the crowd around them roared even louder as Ranma darted in, but he hardly heard them now, his mind completely focused on the fight. It had to be for this one—his opponent was good enough that a single mistake could cost him the fight! Ranma slipped past another one of his opponent's powerful punches and ducked under the follow-up, slamming his own fist into the bandanna-clad boy's gut in an uppercut. Having managed to slip in close finally, he twisted with his entire upper body and threw his shoulder into the punch, putting every ounce of strength he could muster into it.

He was glad to hear the tough bastard grunt and stumble back a few steps from the force of the attack, but that was supposed to have at least knocked the guy down dammit! Ranma felt as much as saw his opponent shift his weight and cursed, realizing that the failed attack had left an opening. The young martial artist quickly twisted to his right, his ponytail whipping against his face, and threw both arms up to block the kick he knew was coming.

It came quickly, slamming into him with such monstrous force that even prepared he was sent stumbling backwards. Ranma barely kept his balance, only years of practicing complicated footwork keeping him on his feet. Jumping back to make some distance, Ranma grimaced and shook his arms. Damn, that hurt! He hadn't had time to react properly and even the force of his own arms snapping back into his face as he blocked had hurt!

Ranma eyed his opponent warily, keeping his distance. Fortunately, it seemed like his last punch actually had taken some sort of toll because the bandanna-clad martial artist hadn't immediately followed up the attack. Normally Ranma would press the advantage, but his arms were still stinging from that kick and his fist and even his shoulder actually hurt from that last punch he gave.

"You cowardly bastard!" his opponent snarled at him, what looked like fangs glinting threateningly in his mouth. "Why don't you stop running away and come fight me!"

Ranma didn't know who this guy was but he was either very angry or really enjoyed shouting out insults in the middle of a fight. That must've been the 4th time Ranma had been called cowardly and the 10th time he had been called a bastard in the fight already. "I just did you idiot!" Ranma snapped back. "I just punched you in that big gut of yours in case you forgot!"

"Your weak attacks couldn't hurt a fly! My grandmother punches harder than you!"

Ranma twitched at the insult but restrained himself from attacking just yet. The crowd roared wildly in approval at the exchange however and Ranma spared them a quick glance. The number of students crowding around them to watch the fight had seemed to double since it began. They pressed in against each other, shaking their fists, hooting and cheering. Some were shouting in his support, many others shouting for the other guy. What was his name?

"C'mon Ryoga, smash him to the ground!"

Ryoga, apparently. Ranma didn't know what the big fuss was about—none of his other lunchtime brawls had attracted this much attention. Still, he had to admit this Ryoga guy was pretty good, maybe even almost as good as him. But still, he was just… too slow!

Ranma burst back into the fight, charging straight at Ryoga with every ounce of speed he could muster. The bandana-clad martial artist was startled, but he reacted well, blocking the punch Ranma threw by simple instinct. But the punch was just a feint and Ranma whirled behind the bandanna-clad martial artist, spinning around with a vicious elbow aimed straight at the back of his head. He had caught Ryoga off guard but the boy was good. Feeling the attack coming, he ducked and twisted around, taking only a glancing blow to his head.

But Ranma wasn't finished yet. Twisting with the momentum of his elbow, he continued to spin around, throwing a powerful knee at Ryoga's head—now in reach after ducking the elbow. But Ryoga had been smart, his left arm, which had blocked the opening punch, still covering his head as he turned. The knee landed with a vicious snap, but much of the force was taken by the arm and the rest as Ryoga continued his spin to absorb the impact.

* * *

Ranma grit his teeth. The guy really was good… but still not fast enough! Ranma continued his spin and whirled around to Ryoga's side, lashing out with a back kick that the bandana-clad martial artist barely blocked with a quickly raised leg. Ranma continued to press his attack, throwing his weight down and forward, pushing off Ryoga's leg as it blocked and flipping over him in an aerial cartwheel. He landed nimbly and instantly followed up with a rapid combination of kicks and punches that Ryoga only barely blocked or dodged. Ranma didn't stop, continuing his attack, throwing punches, kicks, knees and elbows with blinding speed from one side and then quickly disappearing to another. Ranma smiled. Though so far Ryoga had kept up, he was starting to get thrown off balance by the lightning-fast chain of attacks from every direction. Sooner or later, he would…there!

Ranma slammed a powerful hook into the side of Ryoga's head, instantly followed by a quick straight punch and a roundhouse kick straight into the fanged-martial artist's side. The crowd nearly exploded in a frenzy as Ryoga grimaced and stumbled away from the force of the blows; but where a normal person might've been floored by the solid combination he stood his ground.

Ranma still didn't stop, forcing himself forward to continue the attack. The relentless pace was starting to wear even him down, but he wouldn't let himself stop now. He continued his ferocious attacks, pushing and pushing as fast he could. Gradually, more and more of his strikes landed, and while occasionally Ryoga would get a few powerful blows of his own in, timing them skillfully off of Ranma's attacks, Ranma grit his teeth and forced himself to not let up for even a second.

It was working. As the minutes passed by Ranma saw the tell-tale signs of his opponent tiring: his arms dropping and his mouth hanging slightly open as he panted for air. Eventually, he just stopped moving and stood still, trying feebly to block Ranma's attacks. Ranma himself was nearly exhausted, his body aching from his own injuries, but he smiled as he felt victory approaching. This would be a win satisfying unlike any of the others he had at Shibakouen so far because this time his opponent had actually been a very skilled martial artist.

Ranma landed a series of blows to the head that must have at least dazed Ryoga and came to a stop in front of his battered and tired opponent. Ryoga didn't try to attack and Ranma knew his strategy had worked. This would be it: the finishing blow. Ranma lifted his right leg slightly off the ground and twisted his body back, putting everything he had into the final kick to end the fight.

"It's over buddy," he said not unkindly—it had been a really good fight after all—and kicked.

At that moment Ryoga's eyes lit up. Fangs bared and with a ferocious cry, he burst forward at Ranma with inhuman speed. Ranma was startled but still intended to finish the fight. He didn't know where the guy had gotten that sudden burst of energy but it was too late anyway. Ranma's leg slammed into Ryoga's side with a sickening crack, the enraged martial artist not even trying to avoid it.

But whatever damage it caused, it didn't knock him down. Ranma's eyes widened as he felt Ryoga's arms lock around his leg like an iron vice. Instantly, he knew what was coming and started hopping madly backwards with Ryoga's charge. The bandanna-clad martial artist was still screaming, barreling forward with his other arm wrapped around Ranma's back and his head pressed against Ranma's chest.

"Yeah! C'mon Ryoga, smash him to the ground!"

Ranma cursed and continued hopping madly, nearly losing his balance a dozen times but somehow miraculously managing to stay on his feet. They were barreling through the crowd now, students scrambling to get out of the way and clear a path for the two martial artists. Ranma slammed elbow after elbow into the back of Ryoga's head to no effect—even his scream didn't falter!

Ranma was screaming himself now, trying desperately to get the enraged maniac clinging on him to let go. At this rate, pretty soon they would—Ranma gasped, the breath knocked out of him and pain shooting across his back as he slammed into the wall at the far end of the cafeteria. "Shit," he muttered weakly, gasping to get his breath back.

Suddenly, he felt himself thrust into the air as Ryoga lifted him high up. He knew what was coming and braced himself for the slam, grabbing desperately at Ryoga's arms so he would have some control and wouldn't be at any more of a disadvantage when he landed—if he even stayed conscious past that!

Ranma mustered enough strength to throw one last knee right into Ryoga's forehead before he felt himself hurtling towards the ground. He slammed into the floor with monstrous force, his back exploding with pain and his vision swimming.

The weak grip he had managed to get on Ryoga's arms simply released, his body sprawling limply to the ground. His ears rang and his vision began to turn dark, and though his body refused to move and boy did passing out sound good right about then, his pride refused to let him give in and he fought to stay conscious. He may have lost but he'd be damned before he let that bastard say he had knocked out Ranma Saotome.

Lost… Ranma winced at the thought, feeling angry with himself. It wasn't so much that defeat was anything unusual for him—Genma beat him enough all the time—but for awhile he really had thought he was the best here. He had…liked… how everyone talked about him. Dammit, if only he hadn't been so careless—if only he hadn't underestimated the bastard and gone for that last kick!

Ranma sighed, managing to regain his breath. The pain was starting to numb a little and his vision beginning to clear. He weakly wiggled a finger and wondered why Ryoga hadn't pressed the attack. He supposed there was no need to, the victory was apparent. But then why was it so quiet? The ringing in his ears began to fade away and while he expected to hear massive cheering all he heard was silence. What was going on?

Slowly, he was able to move his body again, and he tiredly pushed himself up. He was exhausted and his arms felt weak, but he would at least walk back to class under his own power. He looked up then, searching for Ryoga, expecting to find him gloating. But he didn't see the bandanna-clad martial artist anywhere. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. A sea of awed faces in blue-uniforms stared quietly back at him. He blinked in confusion. What was going on?

"He did it… he beat Ryoga… nobody's ever beaten Ryoga…" somebody in the crowd said. A soft murmur spread throughout the crowd, slowly growing more and more excited as the word spread. Ranma furrowed his brow, confused. Beat Ryoga? What were they talking about?

He looked around for the young martial artist again, and this time found him. Ranma hadn't seen Ryoga because he was sprawled on his back on the floor, clearly knocked-out cold.

Ranma blinked several times and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He had… won? He stumbled back, leaning against the wall, nearly laughing with relief. He hadn't lost! Somehow Ryoga had been knocked out! Maybe by that last knee or maybe even hurting himself in the slam itself. Or perhaps he had just passed out afterwards, all the damage he had taken finally catching up to him. But whatever it was, the simple fact was that he was still standing and Ryoga wasn't!

Ranma felt something in his pocket and reached in. He pulled out a battered and partially crushed piece of bread. He looked at the bread and then at Ryoga's unconscious form. He looked down at himself, bruised and battered—a disheveled mess. All of this for this stupid piece of bread? And this time he did start laughing, even though it kind of hurt his ribs. He looked up and closed his eyes, laughing at the thought that this insanely grueling fight had been over a little piece of bread.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheering, so loud it shook the cafeteria. They surged forward, crowding around him and elatedly congratulating him for doing the impossible: for beating the legendary Lost Boy. The crowd lifted him up and began carrying him triumphantly out of the room. He let himself, still laughing.

But then he felt somebody grab the bread out of his hand. "Hey!" he shouted angrily, twisting around and punching the thief. He saw his bread fly into the air and fall into the crowd somewhere.

"Lunch!" somebody shouted, and there was suddenly a mad rush for the piece of bread. Ranma cursed, struggling back to the ground, though his body still ached. Pushing a random student and punching another one out of the way, he forced his way through the crowd, trying desperately to save his curry bread.

* * *

By the next day word had already spread throughout Shibakouen of the eternal rivalry of Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki. Ranma, for his part, wasn't quite sure how that had come about because as far as he knew he hadn't even seen his opponent since the fight. He had skipped school early and stumbled home, falling into a dead sleep that even his father hadn't bothered trying to wake him from.

But as he walked to class the next morning, Ranma knew something was different. It was in the way people seemed to eye him with respect and step back slightly as he walked by. Strangers would shout greetings and congratulations; girls would catch his eyes for just a second before flushing and looking away, giggling as he passed; a few brave souls—mostly people he knew from his class—would come up to him and slap him on the shoulder asking him how he was going to deal with Ryoga now.

For once, Ranma was mostly quiet, absorbing what he was told thoughtfully as he tried to figure out more about this so-called Lost Boy, Ryoga Hibiki. Apparently beating Ryoga had meant something to the students of Shibakouen. Still, despite the difficulty it had just been another fight over lunch not unlike a thousand others that had occurred at Shibakouen—certainly not something to form an eternal rivalry over.

Ranma was still at his desk—early for a change—contemplating this while some of his classmates told him some story about Ryoga wrestling a bear when Takeru burst into the room. The handsome fighter looked quickly around, spotted Ranma and ran over.

"Ranma!" Takeru gasped breathlessly. "Etsuya sent me, I don't have time to explain—just whatever you do don't piss him off!"

Ranma gave Etsuya a confused look. "Piss Etsuya off? Why the heck would I want to do that?"

"Not Etsuya—Ryoga!"

The door flew off its hinges then, slamming into the far side of the room with an enormous crash. Right behind it, Ryoga Hibiki stormed in. His face was twisted in a vicious snarl, white fangs glistening and eyes burning red. He found Ranma and as their eyes met Ranma nearly flinched as he looked into them. They were like dark, fiery coals that burned deep into him, boring in into him with hellfire itself. Ranma didn't know what Takeru was trying to warn him about—Ryoga already looked pretty damned pissed!

"Ranma Saotome…" the Lost Boy began slowly, his voice strangely calm though edged dangerously. "For what you have done to me… I WILL SEND YOU TO HELL!" He thrust a finger at Ranma, straight at his heart as if he were stabbing right through it. His words burned with such fierce rage and hatred that Ranma almost recoiled, as if he really were being stabbed.

The Wild Stallion recovered quickly however, and despite Takeru's desperate gestures, jumped to his feet, staring defiantly back at the Lost Boy. "I didn't do anything to you, you stupid idiot!"

"You stole my lunch!"

"I won it fair and square!"

"I won it! I just laid down to rest when you got up and stole it from me!" Ryoga hurtled back without missing a beat.

"That's the stupidest excuse I ever heard! I had it in my pocket the entire time!" Ranma shot back incredulously.

"I hadn't eaten in two days! Only a coward like you could think you had won that fight!"

"That ain't my problem, a fight's a fight and you lost!"

Both of them were dangerously coming close to blows now and the students in the class were edging away nervously, thinking that in the confined space of the class a fight between the two enraged martial artists would be just as dangerous to them as to the fighters. Ryoga slowly raised a half-clenched fist, his eyes never leaving Ranma. Ranma stared back with equal determination, shifting his weight and preparing for a fight.

It was then that Etsuya burst into the room, Mitsuo right behind him. The two went directly to Ryoga, placing themselves between him and Ranma. "Ryoga! What do you think you're doing picking a fight in our own classroom!" he said sharply—not a question.

Ranma tensed as he saw Ryoga shift his eyes towards Etsuya. The pony-tailed martial artist almost started towards them, thinking that Ryoga would surely snap now and start attacking Etsuya, but Takeru pulled him gently back, shaking his head. "Let them handle him Ranma," he said softly.

Ranma was uncertain but continued to watch. Ryoga still looked just as angry as he did just a few seconds earlier. But, Ranma realized all of a sudden, Ryoga's hands were lowered and unclenched; and though fierce anger still marred his face, he seemed to be listening to Etsuya.

Mitsuo placed a hand on Ryoga's shoulder, smiling cheerfully—a very strange sight in contrast to the Lost Boy's own expression. Ranma got the impression of a man laughing in the face of death. "Look Ryoga, this is the first time we've seen you in weeks! Let's just sit down and talk about where you've been okay?"

Ryoga looked at Mitsuo and to Ranma's surprise, the Lost Boy's expression seemed to soften just a little. Etsuya and Mitsuo continued talking to Ryoga and over the next few minutes, Ranma watched in shock as the once seemingly-unbreakable facade of anger and darkness on the Lost Boy's face slowly begin to fade away until finally it was an almost unrecognizable calm face that even grinned here and there.

Ranma thought he heard the class let out a collective sigh of relief and Takeru let go of Ranma's shoulder. "That was close," Takeru said tiredly to Ranma. "Ryoga's in our class too so it would've been bad if the two of you went at each other too much."

Ranma was about to ask why when he had already shown he could beat Ryoga when the Lost Boy's head suddenly snapped back up, his face hardening as he caught Ranma's eyes again. Everybody tensed, but Ryoga didn't seem as angry this time, just… hard.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, coward," he said emphatically. "I'll see you in battle." And with that he abruptly turned around and walked out the door. Etsuya and Mitsuo sighed and ran after him.

Ranma looked at Takeru, who shrugged. "Well, I guess a LITTLE rivalry won't be too bad."

* * *

And so the legendary rivalry of Shibakouen began. Not with nearly the same fierce intensity and hatred that Ryoga had shown when he first confronted Ranma; but it grew and continued nonetheless with the same dogged tenacity and tireless determination that seemed to perpetually fuel the Lost Boy in everything else he did.

Ryoga had a short temper and carried long grudges, Takeru explained later to Ranma. That was why Etsuya and Mitsuo, the two most well-liked students in the class, had been trying to calm him down. It hadn't been such a problem in the past because most people were beaten by Ryoga pretty quickly after any transgression, after which he was quick to forget about the incident and move on. Everybody else had simply apologized to Ryoga, having no desire to enter into what amounted to a blood feud with the best fighter in the school.

This was what all Ranma's classmates urged him to do now to calm Ryoga down—for the good of the class.

Ranma, of course, refused. If anything, he only made the situation worse, constantly getting into arguments with Ryoga and seemingly picking fights with him. When he found out about Ryoga's complete lack of a sense of direction, he had made fun of the Lost Boy so much that for awhile Etsuya had despaired of ever mending things between the two.

And so the rivalry continued, with almost daily fights breaking out between the two of them—usually at lunch time over bread. The fights were fierce but none ended as dramatically as the first one and there was usually no clear victor. Their second fight started off nearly as intensely as the first one, but ended when Ryoga flew through a window and promptly got lost. After that, the fights usually ended when Ranma ate all of the bread he had captured that day in the middle of the fight.

For the first few days, Ranma and Ryoga would always fight over the first curry bread thrown. But on the fourth day Ranma, perhaps tired of the constant fighting, made an unusual concession and went for a different type of bread. For two days after there was relative peace and the two didn't say anything to each other and some people thought that perhaps the rivalry had somehow miraculously ended.

But it wasn't long before Ranma managed to insult the Lost Boy and at the next lunch, Ryoga made a startling move, waiting for Ranma to capture a piece of bread before attacking him. The pony-tailed martial artist was caught off guard and in the vicious fight that ensued Ryoga emerged victorious, hurtling Ranma into a crumpled heap against the wall and capturing the bread.

After that the rivalry intensified even more—this time seemingly driven by Ranma. The two fought ferociously every lunch period, sometimes without even a piece of bread between the two. More and more the fights would drag on, lunch seemingly forgotten, the battle only ending with the lunch period and the intervention of other students.

But despite all the intense emotions and vicious, constant fighting—or perhaps because of it—something slowly changed over the next few weeks as the two eternal rivals fought. Gradually, their fights became less about things—bread, lunch or pride—and more about the fight itself. As they exchanged blows and weaved in and out of each others attacks, constantly watching and reading each others' every move they in a way became more intimate and aware of each others' strengths and weakness than the closest brothers. With that awareness grew—slow and with much difficulty but grew nonetheless—a sense of respect for each other as martial artists.

And so eventually the fights became not so much fights over anything as fights for the sake of fighting itself. They fought to lose themselves in the moment, the entire world fading away around them until there was nothing left but the two of them and the pounding of their hearts, their bodies flowing with the rhythm of the fight. They fought until finally they were fighting just for the sake of the Art.

Ranma grit his teeth, struggling to maintain his balance as Ryoga pushed and pulled against him, constantly moving and shifting his weight as he attempted to throw Ranma off guard. Ranma wasn't exactly sure how they had gotten into this position but he was in a very dangerous situation. Ryoga had his left arm hooked under Ranma's right and clasped behind his back, giving the Lost Boy control of that side of Ranma's body. Ranma's left hand clutched tightly on the piece of curry bread he had captured that day, but the Lost Boy's free hand was clamped around Ranma's wrist, straining to pull it closer to him. "It's going to be mine today Ranma," Ryoga said, his eyes boring into Ranma.

"You're going to have to eat my fist whole if you want that curry bread," Ranma shot back defiantly. The Lost Boy gave Ranma a vicious grin. His fangs glistened and he looked like he would indeed devour the bread whole, Ranma's hand and all, if he could just get it close enough to his mouth.

The two continued to push back and forth, Ranma straining against Ryoga's superior strength. They shifted and counter-shifted weight; feinted sweeps, kicks and throws, searching for any weaknesses and waiting for a single mistake. Nonetheless, Ranma was in a highly unfavorable position, and only his extensive training in Judo and skilled footwork had kept him standing as long as he had. Seeing his left hand with the bread waver a little from corner of his eyes, he willed it closer to his body. He had to keep that elbow tucked towards his body, as much to keep Ryoga from getting that second hook under his arms as from any fear of his bandana-clad opponent eating his hand.

Ranma suddenly jerked forward, Ryoga catching him in mid-step. He planted his feet instantly and forcefully slid himself into a more stable stance, resisting the reflexive urge to step and lean his weight forward and probably be taken down. Ranma mentally cursed, feeling his muscles start to tire. Even if he could somehow miraculously stay on his feet indefinitely in such a bad position, his body wasn't going to hold up against Ryoga's stupid strength for much longer. The Lost Boy had him held tight though, which meant that the only way to get out… was to give him what he wanted!

Ranma let his right foot come off the ground as Ryoga pulled him to a side this time, shifting all his weight to his left side. Ryoga smiled, seeing the opening, and threw his left arm upwards, lifting Ranma up and to the side as he swept at Ranma's left foot from the outside. It was a beautifully efficient circular throw that put every ounce of strength spent into slamming Ranma into the ground.

Ranma didn't fight it, throwing his weight in with it and going with the force of the throw. As he came off the ground he hooked his right arm around Ryoga's neck, pushing all the energy from the throw as well as the torque from his own hips into pulling the Lost Boy's upper body down with him. Ranma's left hand was still being controlled by Ryoga, but as he came down towards the ground he sliced his forearm into the Lost Boy's shin.

The momentum generated from Ryoga's sweep combined with Ranma's own attack was enough to send them both crashing painfully into the ground. Only Ranma was prepared for it, twisting as they hit so that they ended up in a confused roll for several seconds. But Ranma managed to secure a good grip on the Lost Boy and, with a twist of his legs and body, sweep Ryoga onto his back. Ranma rolled onto of Ryoga's stomach, controlling his hands and grinning triumphantly.

It had been a completely insane and unorthodox move that required perfect timing, incredible aerial dexterity and a certain amount of recklessness to succeed. And that was why it worked. Sort of.

Ranma's smile faded and his jaw dropped as he looked down at Ryoga's stuffed mouth and puffed up cheeks, hastily chewing on the bread that Ranma had been holding only seconds earlier.

"You idiot!" Ranma screamed, trying to strangle the Lost Boy. "That's my lunch!" Ryoga's eyes gleamed and his chortled cries as Ranma attacked sounded more like laughter than anything.

* * *

"I heard you lost today Ranma," Etsuya said with a friendly smile as he came up to Ranma in the classroom.

Ranma shrugged, tossing the last of his beef bread into his mouth and nearly swallowing it whole. "I got my lunch," he said simply.

Etsuya took a seat next to Ranma and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "There's nothing to be ashamed about, Ranma. Ryoga is probably the best martial artist in the school next to you."

Ranma didn't say anything. He didn't look at Etsuya either and stared intently at the blackboard in front of the room.

"Besides," Etsuya continued. "Aren't you ahead anyway? You've gotten the lunch more times right?"

"Six to three," Ranma answered instantly.

Etsuya rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Ranma, he's not a bad guy!"

"Hey I didn't say anything!" Ranma said defensively.

"You know what I mean, Ranma." Etsuya gave Ranma a serious, pointed look—the kind he used when his classmates were being unreasonable, when he was talking to them not so much as Etsuya but as the class president. It was so unusual and authoritative on the always infectiously-friendly Etsuya that it made even the toughest students in the class think twice about being coy or stand-offish with him.

Even though he wasn't actually looking at Etsuya, Ranma shifted uncomfortably under Etsuya's look. After a few long, awkward moments, he finally turned towards Etsuya, giving him an exhausted sigh. "Okay, so he's a pretty good martial artist alright? What do you want me to say? He hates me—he's dedicated his life to exterminating me over curry bread!"

Etsuya looked at something behind Ranma and smiled, his serious look disappearing. Ranma turned around and tensed as he saw Ryoga come up to him, Osamu walking by him. The giant gave Ranma a quick grin as they stopped in front of him.

Ranma didn't miss a beat. "What's the matter fang boy? Little puppy get lost and-"

Ranma yelped as Etsuya kicked him in the leg.

"Hey Ryoga, what's going on?" Etsuya asked with a friendly smile. Ranma glared at the class president.

Ryoga reached into his pocket and tossed something at Ranma. Ranma caught the object, looking at it quizzically. It was a lunch bread. Curry from the smell of it. "Huh?" he finally said after a few seconds.

Ryoga looked at him calmly—unusually calmly now that he thought about it. "Good fight today, Ranma. You're a pretty good martial artist." He emphasized the title, almost seeming to grin just a little as he said it. And with that he turned around and walked away, Osamu hurrying after him, though not before giving Ranma a quick wave.

Ranma stared at the Lost Boy as he left the room, and then down at the bread, not sure if he really believed what happened. Finally, he looked up at Etsuya, giving him a suspicious look. "You told him to do that didn't you?"

But Etsuya stared back at Ranma, seemingly just as surprised. "No, I… actually didn't."

* * *

"Why the heck would I want to do that?!" Ranma demanded incredulously. If it hadn't been Etsuya who asked him, and if Osamu, Takeru, Mitsuo, Koki, Shoji, Fujio AND Misao weren't all surrounding him leveling him with flat stares he would've walked away already.

"It's not just you Ranma, everybody in the class takes turns walking Ryoga home." Etsuya said, emphasizing everybody.

"What the heck does that have to do with me?" Ranma snapped back. His classmates stared silently back at him and shifted uncomfortably under the combined gazes. "Who cares if he gets home or not anyway?" Ranma regretted those words almost as soon as he said them, even before Etsuya pinned him down with a disappointed look. He hadn't meant it like that he just…. he just… well…

"He wouldn't want me to walk him home anyway," Ranma said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring down at the ground—the only place where there wasn't somebody looking at him.

Etsuya smiled softly, knowing that was Ranma's way of agreeing to walk the Lost Boy home. It was a token argument meant to protect the proud martial artist's pride. Etsuya didn't blame him, they did put him on the spot coming out here like this. But Etsuya had felt it was the only way to get Ranma to agree to walk Ryoga home.

The eternal rivals had been getting along better recently—which meant they didn't fight as much and occasionally ignored each other instead of quarrelling—but that wasn't enough for Etsuya. He had worked hard to get everybody in class 3-D to trust and respect each other as friends, because that was the only way they had survived as the "delinquent" class with their pride and dignity intact. That unity—that sense of family—was important to him and he wasn't about to give up on it with Ranma and Ryoga just because they seemed to hate each other at first glance.

"Come on Ranma, I'll go with you this time," Etsuya gave Ranma a reassuring smile that said he could trust him—that they were friends.

Ranma looked at Etsuya a moment, then sighed. "Fine."

* * *

The walk started off cordially enough, Ranma hopping onto a fence and Etsuya leading the way with Ryoga between them. Ryoga had been surprised to see Ranma at first but other than a curt greeting didn't say anything. Ranma just shrugged, surprisingly restraining himself from making any barbed quips.

Even though he had been seeing the two of them not argue more often they did in the past few days, Etsuya was a little surprise at how quiet the two were. He supposed Ranma was still feeling a little guilty about his comment earlier. To lighten the mood a little Etsuya started talking, trying to draw the two rivals into conversation. Talking was something he was good at—not in the slick, flirtatious, kid of way Takeru was with girls; but in a disarming and infectious kind of way that drew people in and made them smile. It was what had gotten him leadership of the class and what had helped him crack through Ryoga's shell two years ago to make the Lost Boy a part of the class.

So Etsuya asked Ranma and Ryoga about their travels and how Ranma liked Juuban so far. He laughed, smiled, made jokes and generally tried to have a good conversation. He talked as if he was fascinated with their lives, making them feel like he really enjoyed talking to them. And the truth was, he really was genuinely interested in what they had to say—Ryoga in particular had traveled to exotic places all over the world and could communicate rudimentarily in a myriad of different languages.

And therein lay a problem that Etsuya didn't realize at first. Ranma and Ryoga didn't so much talk to each other as they were taking turns talking with him; and more and more for some reason Ranma seemed to withdraw from even that conversation. As the minutes passed he seemed to draw into himself, acting steadily more and more aloof. He glanced around, letting Ryoga talk with seeming indifference to whatever the Lost Boy was saying. What he did say was curt and defensive, almost as if he were trying to play down Ryoga's experiences. Ryoga seemed to be growing steadily agitated, but even then things might have been okay; except that Ranma was beginning to taunt and argue with Ryoga more and more. Realizing the danger they were in, Etsuya began trying to defuse the situation, but it was too late.

"That's pretty interesting, isn't it Ranma?" Etsuya turned around to give Ranma a pointed look.

But Ranma either didn't see Etsuya or chose to ignore him, continuing to walk forward on the fence. "Sounds pretty stupid to me, actually," he replied, subtly emphasizing the word stupid. Ryoga gave Ranma an irritated look, but didn't say anything. "Language just sounds ugly—hurts my ears."

"Ranma…" Etsuya said slowly, getting a bad feeling about where this conversation was turning. Ranma's comments were starting to even grate his nerves, and they were picking up now.

"Dumb language for a dumb country…"

Etsuya stopped, turning around and trying to pin Ranma down with his glare.

"It's no wonder someone dumb as you got lost there…" Ranma continued obliviously.

"Ranma!" Etsuya hissed.

"RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"

This time Ranma did stop, eyes widening as what looked like a mailbox on a pole swung towards his head. He ducked then jumped as it swung again towards his legs. "Hey what the heck's your problem Ryo-" he started to demand angrily but was cut off as the Lost Boy smashed the mailbox into the wooden fence Ranma was standing on, destroying it. Ranma stumbled and hopped onto Ryoga's head, kicking him into the ground before landing lightly on the street.

"Hey, calm down you crazy idiot!" Ranma snapped as the Lost Boy pushed himself back up to his feet. Ranma froze as Ryoga hefted up the mailbox pole, his face a burning mask of rage—his survival instincts were telling him that this was a good time to run.

When Ryoga swung the mailbox—dangerously strong and so surprisingly fast that Ranma actually was grazed by it—and then swung it again and again in quick succession without so much as a hint of tiring, Ranma decided he should listen to his instincts.

"Saotome Final Attack!" he screamed; and then disappeared down the street, Ryoga chasing him with a frustrated Etsuya right behind.

* * *

Ranma slumped against a wrought-iron fence, gasping for breath. Ahead of him he could see Ryoga running in the opposite direction, still brandishing what was left of his broken mailbox weapon and screaming for Ranma's blood. Good, Ranma thought. The guy was lost now and would probably spend the rest of the day running around in circles.

Etsuya appeared next to Ranma, breathing heavily. "Where's Ryoga?" he asked quickly.

Ranma pointed at where he had last seen Ryoga.

"Just what the hell is your problem anyway Ranma?!" Etsuya snapped, giving Ranma a sharp, angry glare that Ranma had never seen before. It hit him in the gut, and the thousand defenses and excuse that had been on his lips all melted away.

"It's not my fault he takes everything so seriously…" Ranma muttered lamely, looking away.

Etsuya didn't even bother replying to Ranma's defense. "His parents were actually home today—I'm not even sure if I can still find him now." He gave Ranma one last disappointed look, and then started off in the direction Ranma had pointed.

"I'll come with you," Ranma said, starting to follow Etsuya.

"You've done enough Ranma," Etsuya snapped without looking back. "Just go home."

Ranma winced, was about to say something, but then stopped. He leaned back against the fence and watched as Etsuya started running and disappeared around a corner. Unfamiliar feelings of guilt churned in his stomach. He thought about what Etsuya had said and about Ryoga's parents. Their sense of direction was supposed to be just as bad as Ryoga's and they rarely saw their son.

"It's not my fault…" Ranma muttered quietly to himself. "I didn't even want to come anyway…" He saw in his mind the disappointed look on Etsuya's face and wondered why he had started making fun of Ryoga in the first place. It was probably something Ryoga said; and even if it wasn't the guy didn't have to take it so seriously.

Ranma stood leaning against the fence for awhile, catching his breath and trying to rationalize what had just happened. He really didn't know why he had started taunting the Lost Boy. Ryoga had just been talking about his travels so much and, well… Ranma didn't think they were that great, and he had a right to say that right? Yeah, Ranma decided. None of it was his fault.

His breathing normal now, the young boy looked around him, trying to get his bearings. He walked down the street a little bit, trying to forget everything that had just happen and not really succeeding. He winced as he took a step and felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down and gently touched his left side, finding it bruised. "Man, I can't believe the big idiot actually hit me with that mailbox…" Ranma sighed. Nothing he could do about it except get back to the apartment and ice it. As soon as he figured out where he was anyway.

Ranma's thoughts trailed off and stared at the metal fence he had been leaning on. There was something familiar about it. He followed it down a little bit and stopped before an ornate metal gate. This was…

Images of a dark hair, violet-eyed girl flashed through his mind. That girl! Of course, he hadn't recognized it in the daytime, but this was her home. What was her name… Hotaru? Yes, Hotaru. Which mean his home was that way! Ranma smiled and started walking towards his apartment—at least something was going right today.

He stopped again, wincing as another stab of pain shot up his side. Dammit, the injury was worse than he thought it had been apparently. He paused, suddenly remembering the last time he had seen Hotaru: her hands with that soft glowing light, the warmth spreading over his arms and erasing his injuries. She could heal him.

He looked past the fence, at the large house looming over him and hesitated, almost started walking back home again. It seemed so imposing and felt so alien for him to think of walking down that long pathway and knocking on those giant doors. He didn't belong here—this wasn't his world.

The pain stabbed at his side again and he winced. He thought about Hotaru healing his wounds, but then he also remembered talking to her last time. He felt a strange squeezing feeling in his chest, and he wasn't quite sure what it meant but for some reason he felt like he wanted to talk to someone. He looked down the street leading towards his apartment and then at Hotaru's house. He hesitated for a second more and then decided what the heck. It was worth putting up with feeling weird to get his side healed.

* * *

Ranma leaned back in the green couch, relaxing in its large, soft cushions, sunlight streaming in from large windows. Hotaru's father had answered the door and seemed pleased to see Ranma, though he appeared to be in a hurry. He left Ranma with a tall, red-headed woman named Kaolinite, who had told him to wait here in the room while she told Hotaru he was here. For a second he had thought that maybe the woman was Hotaru's mother and was surprised at how, asides from their light skin, they looked nothing alike; but there was something about her—a cold, icy edge in her eyes and the way she talked—that felt so different from Hotaru that somehow he knew there was no way that woman was Hotaru's mother. He didn't quite know why he thought that—Hotaru was pretty quiet and cold in her own way as well—but it just seemed right to him.

So Ranma decided Kaolinite was probably some sort of a maid or housekeeper—albeit a little strangely attired in her low-cut dress and heels. He looked around the large, almost cavernous room, noting the all the expensive-looking furnishings. A large, marble table lay between him and another luxurious-looking couch and on the far wall was an enormous wooden grandfather clock that stretched up nearly to the ceiling, steadily ticking the time away. To his left side was a large brick fireplace, various paintings, pictures and other decorations adorning the area above it. Looking up, Ranma saw an ornate, golden chandelier hanging from a brightly polished ceiling. Professor Tomoe definitely looked like he could afford a maid.

The door on the far wall opened and Ranma couldn't help but smile slightly as Hotaru appeared. He didn't know why, but it was good to see her. She was wearing black tights and a black skirt and Ranma realized that this was the first time he had seen her outside of her uniform. There was a curious and hesitant look on her face as she walked in, as if she didn't know what to expect. When she saw Ranma her eyes widened with recognition.

"Ranma?" she said carefully, as if she weren't sure it was really him.

"One and only," he replied with a half-grin and a short wave.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, still standing by the door, a confused look on her face.

Ranma shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling a little stupid for coming. "Geez, sorry for visiting."

Hotaru flushed, looking flustered. "I'm sorry Ranma, that's not what I meant." Pulling herself together, she walked over and sat down next to him. "It's really good to see you Ranma, it's just… I don't get a lot of visitors." She smiled at him and the look in her eyes was still a little confused but she looked like she really was genuinely glad to see him.

"Why not?" he asked.

Hotaru looked down at her hands. "You know… because of what I can do."

"That's stupid. You know that trick of yours is really amazing right?"

Hotaru gave Ranma an uncertain smile. "Maybe Ranma, but it certainly hasn't brought me any friends."

At this Ranma perked up, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Wrong again, Hotaru," he said, standing up. He lifted up his shirt and showed her the large bruise on his left side. It turned out there were also quite a few cuts and scrapes there as well. "Actually, I was kinda hoping you could help me out with this."

Hotaru's eyes widened and she looked up at Ranma, a surprised look on her face. "You want me to heal this…?" she asked, her voice heavy with uncertainty.

Ranma nodded. "Of course, it hurts like hell."

Hotaru still looked uncertain, but Ranma continued to look down at her reassuringly, his eyes steady and his gaze never shaking. He looked sure of himself, expectant and most of all, unafraid. After several long seconds, Hotaru finally nodded.

Standing up by Ranma, she placed a hand over Ranma's wounds and closed her eyes. Ranma looked down at Hotaru's hand, small and smooth against the purple and red of his bruised skin and cut skin. For a second nothing happened, and then all of a sudden there was that warm, yellow light again. Expecting it this time, he watched as it enveloped her hand and his side. It wrapped around him, a warm and soothing blanket, and he felt the pain in his side subside and then disappear altogether. The ugly purple of the bruising faded away and the many cuts closed and vanished. In a few short seconds, all signs of injury were gone and Hotaru moved her hand away.

Ranma felt the smooth, unbroken skin where the injury had been only seconds ago and whistled in wonder. He looked back at Hotaru, grinning broadly. "Thanks Hotaru!"

Hotaru smiled and nodded, sitting back down on the couch, looking tired. Ranma remembered then how she had worn herself out healing him last time and suddenly had second thoughts about coming. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, sitting down and placing a hand on her shoulder.

She looked at his hand oddly, as if not expecting it, and he quickly pulled it back away. "I'm fine Ranma, please don't worry about it. I'm just glad I was able to help you a little."

"Oh," he said, not sure what else to say. Well, she sounded fine, it was just for a moment, she had looked…

"What happened?" Hotaru asked quickly, changing the subject. "It looked really painful."

Ranma leaned back against the couch, glad to be talking about something else. "Got hit by a mailbox."

Hotaru raised an eyebrow, not quite sure she had heard Ranma right. "You mean you hit a mailbox?"

"No, I mean I got hit by a mailbox," Ranma said, giving her a look that said he wasn't stupid and knew what he was saying.

"Someone hit you with a mailbox?"

"Yeah, Ryoga. He's pretty strong."

"Why would he hit you with a mailbox?"

Ranma sighed. "It's a long story…"

Hotaru looked at Ranma and almost backed off, but then perhaps she saw something in his eyes; perhaps she recognized something familiar in them, something that was crying out for attention, for company; because instead of backing off she smiled reassuringly at Ranma and said, "Please, tell me."

Ranma looked at Hotaru for a second and then began telling her about Ryoga. He started with their first fight, giving her a quick background on the lunch situation at Shibakouen. He then briefly recounted the progress of the rivalry over the past few weeks, giving her a surprisingly accurate and exaggeration-free accounting of their encounters and fights. He told her about how annoying and frustrating it was sometimes to be fighting with him all the time, emphasizing Ryoga's pig-headed stubbornness and short temper. Then he told her about what had happened earlier today, and though he tried really hard to not to admit any fault, he confessed that he felt a little bad about what happened.

When he finally finished, he gave a long, frustrated sigh and looked at Hotaru expectantly. She had listened through the entire thing attentively, only asking questions now and then.

She seemed to consider her words carefully and after a few moments said, "I'm sorry Ranma, it must be hard for you to go through all that every day. You're in a new place and go through so much, I understand why you get upset sometimes."

Ranma felt a huge weight lift off his chest as soon as she said that. He didn't know why but somehow hearing somebody sympathize with him and saying she understood him made him feel… better.

"But…" Hotaru continued, her voice softer now, a distant look in her eyes. "I think Ryoga must be very lonely too. Both of us still have our fathers, but Ryoga's always lost and doesn't see his parents or any of his friends very much. I think maybe he's just sad too because he can't go home."

Ranma was quiet, not sure what to say. For a second he had felt like shooting down everything Hotaru had said, but… the way she said them with that sad look in her eyes and the quiet softness of her voice, it had sounded true, and… familiar. Finally though, he said quietly, "So you don't have a mom either huh?"

Hotaru looked up then, surprised, as if she hadn't realized she had said that. Ranma looked at her, catching her eyes. This girl… she was a little like him wasn't she? She looked flustered under his gaze but started to say something when the door to the room opened.

"Excuse me, I brought some tea," Kaolinite said, a tray in her hands.

Hotaru turned towards Kaolinite, startled at first. It was only for an instant however, her brow furrowing angrily and her lips purse as she nearly shot off the couch and stormed over to Kaolinite. Ranma was surprised, realizing he had never seen Hotaru angry before.

Hotaru snatched the tray from Kaolinite. "Next time don't interfere with house affairs Kaolinite." Hotaru spun around, making it clear that she had nothing else to say to Kaolinite. Ranma saw Kaolinite smile slightly before turning around and walking out the door.

Ranma gave Hotaru a questioning look, but she didn't notice, her face still angry as she stared off at nothing in particular. "Um… is everything alright Hotaru?" Ranma asked after a few long moments of silence. He got up and walked over to Hotaru, waving a hand in front of her eyes.

Hotaru blinked, as if suddenly realizing where she was and looked apologetically at Ranma. "I'm sorry Ranma. Kaolinite is my father's assistant. He's very busy so she comes to help him with his research, but sometimes…" Hotaru trailed off.

"Oh," Ranma said. "That makes sense, I thought she was too weird to be a maid."

Hotaru blinked, looking at Ranma strangely. After a second, however, she smiled, shaking her head and even laughing softly. "No, Kaolinite's definitely not a maid."

Ranma didn't know what was so funny but nodded in agreement.

Taking a deep breath, Hotaru turned around, carefully balancing the tray and walking towards the door. "Well since you're here Ranma, would you like me to show you around?"

Ranma shrugged, glad to see that Hotaru was acting normally again. "Sure, why not?" he said.

Hotaru nodded and lead him out the room and into a long corridor. "I'll show you my room first."

Ranma followed her, glancing around and absently cataloging the entrances and exits. The floor was marble and there were numerous doors on both sides with a window at the end of the hall. "You have a really nice house Hotaru," Ranma said as she led him up a set of stairs.

"Thank you Ranma. Papa said the place you live at is very nice too."

"Yeah, it is…" Ranma said slowly. It was nice, but… well, he still didn't know how they had managed to get the place and despite how much he liked it he couldn't help but feel like they might get kicked out at any minute.

"So you don't have a mother Hotaru?" Ranma suddenly asked. He hadn't seen his own mother in nearly ten years because he had been on the road for so long, but he had a feeling that in Hotaru's case... "Is she…"

"She died a long time ago," Hotaru said quietly.

Ranma winced a little, suddenly sorry he had asked. He didn't know why he did, he just… wanted to know. "I'm sorry…" he said. And he really was. He and Ryoga didn't see their mothers, but at least he knew she was still there…

Hotaru stopped before a door and turned to give Ranma a big smile. "No, it's all right." She opened the door and walked in, gesturing for Ranma to follow her. "But come in, I want to hear more about what you've been doing in Juuban."

Ranma stepped into Hotaru's room and froze, taken aback. Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn't been this. The room was huge and spacious, the blinds closed to shut out the light. But it glowed softly with the light of dozens of lamps placed throughout the room. Two delicate sets of three sat on nightstands on either side of a bed on the far side of the room. Others shone softly from a table near the door and high on top of a cabinet on the other side. More lay across a dresser and others hung from the walls and ceilings, seeming to float silently in the darkness like so many glittering fireflies.

Ranma took a breath, feeling for a second like he had stepped into another world. It was so surreal; he could see the bed and table and chair—all the trappings of a normal room—and yet somehow, glowing gently in the darkness under the light of the lamps it all seemed so… magical and mysterious somehow. An image flashed through his mind of a dark haired girl with sparkling eyes looking at him from the edge of a moon-swept lake that glowed… just like this.

"It's… amazing," Ranma finally said. And he meant it.

Hotaru smiled brightly. "Thank you," she said, glowing in the darkness as much as any of the lamps.

Ranma nodded, giving the room another look. It really was amazing.

There was a sudden crash and Ranma spun around. Hotaru was on the ground, weakly struggling to push herself up and the tray of tea scattered across the ground. Ranma rushed to her side, helping her up. "Hotaru! Are you okay?"

Hotaru smiled weakly, clutching at her chest. "I-It's okay… I'm fine…" She pushed herself away from Ranma and leaned against the wall. Ranma let her go, not sure what to do.

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtfully. Her face looked strained and even paler than usual and her breathing was coming in short shallow breaths.

"I'm just… a little dizzy…" she said slowly, closing her eyes for a second.

"I'll go call a doctor," Ranma said, getting up.

Hotaru's grabbed Ranma's hand, surprisingly fast, and pulled him back, shaking her head. "No!" she said emphatically, her face strangely determined. "I'm not supposed to see any doctors, my father can…" she trailed off again, closing her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, she looked very tired but her breathing seemed to be a little easier. "I'm sorry Ranma, you should probably go home now."

Ranma looked at her uncertainly for several long moments but nodded and stood up. "Okay Hotaru," he said, giving her an encouraging smile. "You be okay, alright?" She nodded and he turned away and started to leave.

"Ranma," Hotaru called as he walked through the door. He stopped and looked back at her. She was leaning heavily against the doorframe, her small figure and dark clothes almost swallowed up by the suddenly foreboding darkness of the room behind her. She smiled weakly at him in the light of the corridor. "Thank you for coming… you're always welcome here."

He looked at her and for just a second he had the strangest feeling that he should stay—that he wasn't supposed to leave and that she needed him to stay—but he shrugged it off and nodded, "I better be after everything I've done for you," he said with a cocky grin.

She nodded weakly and with a short wave he turned around and left her.

* * *

Ranma squinted at the map Etsuya had sketched for him and then looked up at the large house in front of him. Well, unless his sense of direction was as bad as Ryoga's, this had to be it. He walked to the front door and pounded on it a few times, then rang the bell. "Hey Ryoga! Get up, it's time for school!" he shouted. He waited a few minutes, pounding the door and ringing the bell several more times, but nobody came.

"Well, I guess it's time for plan B…" Ranma muttered, flipping the map over. On the back was a rough map of Ryoga's house with several points of entrance marked. Etsuya had told him that if Ryoga didn't make it to the door, Ranma should just enter however he could.

So Ranma wandered around to the side of the house and tried one of the marked windows. It was locked so he moved onto another one—this one the entrance to a basement. He pushed at it a few times and it opened, although with a bit of difficulty. He peered inside into the inky darkness, trying to make out the interior in the dull morning light. Well, it was a little tight, but it looked like he would make it. So he sat down and tried to slide inside legs-first. After a few moments and with some difficulty, he managed to squeeze through, dropping to the ground and sending up a large cloud of dust.

Coughing and half blind, he stumbled through the cluttered basement until he found the door to the house. He opened it and walked inside, calling out Ryoga's name. The house was large, and well-furnished, though a lot of it was covered in plastic sheets, probably because there was hardly ever anybody home. Ranma looked down at his map and started checking out all the rooms on the lower floor, calling for Ryoga.

He was in the living room when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He nearly screamed, and spun around, knocking the hand away and jumping back to safety. Peering into the dim gray morning light, he finally made out Ryoga, scowling at him in annoyance.

"So you actually came," Ryoga said.

"Of course!" Ranma snapped back. "What, did you think I was going to leave a classmate behind?" he asked, his voice softer now. "Besides, I volunteered to do this and Ranma Saotome's word is always good."

Ryoga looked surprised, as if he weren't expecting that answer. But his face softened and he nodded. "Sorry I didn't get the door. You're early so I wasn't expecting you yet."

Ranma grinned, pocketing the map. "I know, I came early cause I wanted to see if you wanted to spar with me."

Ryoga's eyes widened, and he seemed really surprised now. "Spar?"

Ranma nodded. "Sure, you're a pretty good martial artist. We could learn something from each other you know?"

Ryoga stared at Ranma as if he had grown another head, but as he looked at the pony-tailed martial artist, he realized that Ranma was serious. Slowly, Ryoga smiled and dropped into a defensive stance. "Alright then, let's see if you can take even one of my punches when I'm not tired."

Ranma smirked and shifted his weight slightly, getting ready to dash towards the Lost Boy. "Hey Ryoga," he said softly as he lifted his hands up to guard himself.

"What?" Ryoga asked.

"Sorry about the other day." As Ranma dashed forward, he thought that it was funny how even though he had fought with Ryoga so many times already, this was the first time he ever sparred with the Lost Boy.

* * *

Author's Notes:

And so Ryoga finally appears! I've been re-watching the anime and will attempt to modify his character in the same way I've done with Ranma. This is pre-Jusenkyo so Ryoga shouldn't be as angry, depressed or love-starved as in canon. As of the end of this chapter, though, Ranma and Ryoga's relationship is stabilized and won't be focused on for awhile.


	4. Chapter 4

Sound Hearts

KaosQu

Chapter 4

Ranma hoped onto the fence with one last shout back at his father and took off towards Ryoga's house. The old man shouted something as the young martial artist ran across the fence, but once again didn't give chase. It had taken some time but Genma had finally gotten over his suspicions and accepted Ranma's leaving early every morning to spar with Ryoga. Ranma enjoyed sparring with Ryoga much more anyway. Though he had been steadily improving and Genma was getting old, Ranma's father was still better than him.

Ranma slowed down as he neared Ryoga's house. Yesterday, Ryoga had taken the unprecedented step of ambushing Ranma outside the actual house so he couldn't be sure he was safe outside anymore. He walked around the property several times, stopping to ask a few neighbors if they had seen anything unusual. They told him they had seen Ryoga earlier that morning doing something on the other side of the house.

Ranma walked over to the other side and carefully checked for traps. Because Ryoga had attacked him outside yesterday, he could probably assume that there were booby-traps outside now as well. He walked alongside the fence, and, after a moment, stopped, smiling. He pushed against the fence and several planks fell over onto the ground. If he had been running across the top at his usual speed he would have been in for quite a fall. Pleased with his discovery, Ranma carefully slipped through the fence into the yard and looked around. By itself, that was a pretty lame trap actually. There had to be something else. He looked around the yard and after a few moments noticed a spot of grass that looked a little different. He kneeled down and pushed at it. His hand pushed right through the grass, and a large patch of it gave away, falling into a large pit about 6 feet deep. Ranma smiled and shook his head. What was Ryoga planning to do, bury him?

Walking carefully around the trap, Ranma continued forward, still carefully scanning around for any signs of traps but feeling rather good about himself for having avoided so many already. Ryoga must've been running out of ideas to have resorted to such simple tricks—he'd have to do much better than that to catch Ranma Saotome unawares!

Ranma froze, tensing as he thought he saw something—a flicker, like a shadow that somehow moved the wrong way, or maybe…

Ranma spun around and barely blocked the punch hurtling towards him. As it was he was propelled roughly back a half dozen feet, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. He didn't have time think about anything—like how stupid he had been for not checking that last trap more carefully—except getting back to his feet as Ryoga barreled towards him with a scream, dirt and grass crumbling off his head and shoulders.

Finally managing to get a secure footing, Ranma grabbed Ryoga's outstretched hand and was pulled cleanly out of the hole. As soon as he was clear he dropped to his knees and fell to his back, breathing heavily. "Not bad, you had some pretty good traps today" he said after several long moments.

"You talk pretty big for somebody who just lost," Ryoga answered, amusement evident in his voice.

"I didn't lose anything, I hit you way more times than you hit me!" Ranma shot back quickly, pushing himself back up to glare at Ryoga.

"What are we point sparring now? You're the one who couldn't get out of the hole."

"Just for your information, I was about to dig a tunnel out and attack you from behind."

Ryoga simply stared at Ranma incredulously.

Ranma shrugged. "I just had to stop since we're going to be late for school."

If anything Ryoga's stare was even more incredulous now.

Not getting a response, Ranma jumped to his feet and started dusting the dirt and grass off of himself. "Anyway," he said after a minute. "Good fight today, Ryoga."

Ryoga looked at Ranma, who seemed to be looking at anywhere except at the Lost Boy, and finally rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. "Yeah, good fight Ranma."

* * *

Ranma leaned back against the tree and yawned, staring out at the bright blue sky. It was a beautifully clear day and the air was crisp and cool. All in all it was a perfect day to have a nice quiet lunch outside. He had taken to eating out in the field at lunch for the past week because it was calmer than either the cafeteria or the classroom. He could still almost hear a soft buzz of noise back in the direction of the school and there were various other groups of students around on the field and by other trees, but if he looked up a little, just enough so that he would see nothing but azure skies and bright white clouds, he could almost imagine he were somewhere else. Ranma stayed like that for awhile, listening to the wind and letting his mind wander.

He stayed like that for what felt like a long time, but tensed as he thought he saw something—a brief flash, like sunlight glinting off metal. That was strange, the last time he had seen something like that… Ranma's eyes widened and he rolled quickly to a side. He heard a hallow thump and glanced back at the tree he had been leaning on as he sprung to his feet. There was knife buried in the trunk where he had been just a second ago! "What the hell!" he shouted out. "Isn't that a little dangerous?!"

Somebody shouted a challenge and he spun to a side, barely managing to block a rapid series of punches from Takeru. The young martial artist fell back under the sudden onslaught. Takeru was very good fighter, his punches coming quick and relentless, but still he was no match for… Ranma gasped as he was suddenly jerked off the ground, an enormous set of powerful arms wrapped around him. He slammed his elbows into his captor's gut, struggling to break free to no effect. The only response was a loud, bellowing laugh that he knew was Osamu—nobody else in the school besides maybe Ryoga could have such a ridiculous strength.

Ranma stopped struggling (though he was just about to escape) as he saw Etsuya approach him, a broad smile on his face. "Ranma Saotome getting caught unawares? What's the world coming to?"

Still laughing, Osamu dropped Ranma down.

"Three versus one, big deal," Ranma said as he dusted himself off.

There was a soft rustle of leaves and Koki dropped to the ground from the tree Ranma had been sitting under. "Four actually," he said with a friendly wink. "Etsuya was expecting you to escape from Osamu."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "So what're you guys doing here?"

Etsuya flicked his wrist and Ranma caught something out of the air. He quirked an eye in surprise as he saw what it was: curry bread from the cafeteria.

The others all took out their own lunches and Etsuya gestured at the tree, a friendly smile on his face. "C'mon, let's eat."

Ranma smiled in spite of himself. "Sure."

The group ate their lunches in relative peace, laughing and talking in the way boys do. They had a few minutes of lighthearted banter about their ambush of Ranma and what each of them should or could've done. Then Osamu gave them a recap of his recent and infamously doomed attempt to sneak into the girls' locker room. The thought or the giant trying to sneak and hide anywhere had everyone nearly dying from laughter—including Osamu. None of them took things too seriously and could laugh about anything, even themselves; and it was likely for that reason that they all, despite their conflict with nearly everybody else at the school, got along together so well.

"So I see you've been getting along with Ryoga," Etsuya said after they had all regained their composure, though Koki and Takeru still snickered every now and then when they looked at Osamu.

Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"I haven't seen you guys fight at lunch lately," Etsuya continued.

"I think they fought Monday." Takeru said.

Ranma thought about it. "Yeah, I think we did. We went for the curry bread right after Fujio had that brawl with those guys from 2-C."

"So what's going on Ranma?" Osamu pressed, leaning in conspiratorially. "Did you kiss and make up?" He gave Ranma a large grin.

Ranma nearly choked, spitting out his bread. "What?!"

Everybody laughed at the disgusted look on Ranma's face but Etsuya leaned forward and gave Ranma a friendly slap on his shoulder. "Relax Ranma, Osamu's just kidding."

Osamu scratched his head, a quizzical look on his face. "I was?"

Etsuya rolled his eyes. "But seriously Ranma, I'm glad you patched things up with Ryoga. I really thought the two of you were going to be fighting each other forever."

"Well we still fight every morning when I walk him to school," Ranma replied.

The others exchanged worried looks, but Etsuya had a curious look on his face. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ranma continued, suddenly seeming enthused. "It's pretty fun actually. We started off just sparring in the mornings, but it's like some huge complicated game now."

"Huh? You play games with Ryoga?" Takeru asked, confused.

"I try to sneak into his house and catch him sleeping or something, but he sets up all these stupid traps all over the place and tries to ambush me so I have to be careful. He comes up with something new everyday too, so I always have to stay one step ahead of him. But he's pretty smart for someone so dumb and sometimes he figures out what I'm going to do before I even do it, it's kinda like…" Ranma trailed off, looking for the right word.

"A game of chess?" Etsuya suggested.

Ranma snapped his fingers. "Yeah! Like chess. Except I never placed chess, but yeah it's exactly like that."

Etsuya smiled at Ranma's enthusiasm and relaxed. Whatever was going on between Ranma and Ryoga, it didn't sound like it was anything to be worried about. The others relaxed too as Ranma dove into stories about his morning sparring sessions with Ryoga.

Ranma seemed really excited about telling them and they were actually very interesting. From what Ranma told them, the morning fights really were like a chess game, growing more and more elaborate as each martial artist fell for, countered and anticipated the other's moves. Everybody laughed as Ranma finished his story about that morning's fight his encounter with the pit. Despite how Ranma tried to play it off, they all knew him well enough to know what had really happened: he had fallen for the pit. Twice.

"Man, Ranma! That actually sounds really fun, I think I'm going to go with you tomorrow.!" Takeru exclaimed eagerly.

Koki nodded. "I think I'll try it out too. Maybe I'll help Ryoga to make it fair."

Ranma looked surprised. "Huh? Are you serious?"

Takeru nodded and started making suggestions for counter-traps and plans of attack, quickly falling into an argument with Koki over strategy and tactics. Osamu asked if they would like to help him sneak into the girls' locker room again instead. Ranma watched on, not really sure what was going on.

"I'm impressed Ranma," Etsuya said as the others talked amongst themselves.

Ranma looked at Etsuya. "With what?"

"You've actually been fighting with Ryoga even more than when you first met him and you're still getting along. Not to mention how tiring it's got to be. Don't you get a lot of injuries?"

Ranma grinned, his face suddenly lighting up at Etsuya's words. "Nah, and besides… I heal fast."

* * *

"Hello Ranma," Hotaru said with a soft smile as she opened the front door. "Injured again?"

"You should see the other guy," Ranma replied, grinning back at her from outside, his face beaming that infectious sense of confidence that he always seemed to carry. As Hotaru looked at Ranma standing before her, with the bright blue sky and warm yellow sun behind him, she felt a small pang of sadness deep inside her. He was always so full of life—a stark contrast with her own quiet days in the house or wandering the streets of Juuban alone that she sometimes wondered how they were able to see each other at all. At times it was... uplifting to talk to Ranma; but at others she just felt so small and weak, afraid that she could have another attack at any moment and just wanted him to go away so she just could curl up into herself on her bed and lose herself in the darkness.

"So uh… can I come in?" Ranma asked. Hotaru started, suddenly realizing that she had been drifting off in her thoughts.

"I'm sorry Ranma, of course," she said quickly, and started to lead him inside the house. Of course she knew why Ranma still saw her despite their differences. Though he came infrequently, he always wanted her to heal him. She smiled despite herself. It was ironic that her ability, which scared away everybody else, actually attracted someone so different from herself. She didn't really know how she should feel about that but she was grateful that she was able to help somebody just a little bit with her healing power.

"Ryoga got a lucky hit in today—can you believe he actually dug a hole in his yard as a trap? Didn't I tell you he was going to start ambushing me outside the house any day now? Boy was I right or what?"

Hotaru smiled as Ranma continued talking about the latest turn in his morning rivalry with Ryoga. The stories were so incredible sometimes she wasn't sure if she even believed them. They were so full of energy and excitement that she often felt… Hotaru paused, feeling a tight squeezing feeling in her chest, her vision swimming for a second. She faltered, pressing a hand against her chest and willing herself to be okay, to not have another attack in front of Ranma, to not be so… weak…

"Can you believe Etsuya, Takeru, Osamu and Koki all attacked me at once at lunch today? Those guys are insane, sometimes I think-" Ranma stopped as he realized that Hotaru had fallen behind. "Hotaru? Are you alright?"

Hotaru took a deep breath and sighed with relief as she felt the brief spell past. "I'm fine, it's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Ranma seemed doubtful.

Hotaru nodded and started leading Ranma down the hall again. "I can't believe you're able to fight with your classmates so much and still get along with them, Ranma," she said, changing the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"When people fight it means they don't like each other right? You must all be really good friends to fight so much and still like each other." Hotaru stopped as she reached the door to the waiting room and looked back at Ranma, who had suddenly become quiet.

"Did I say something wrong? You are all friends right?" she asked, a worried look on her face.

Ranma rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then finally shrugged. "Yeah I guess. I just… never thought of it that way."

* * *

Ranma leaned back in his bed, feeling incredibly refreshed after his bath despite how sore he had felt after his afternoon training with Genma. The old man had him train only defense today so he had been forced to run around for hours only allowed to dodge, block, parry or roll attacks. He might still feel it tomorrow or the day after but for now… well, there was nothing better in the world than a hot bath, a warm meal and a soft bed after a hard day's training to Ranma.

It had used to be just a warm meal after a hard day's training, but Ranma had added the other two requirements after becoming accustomed to the amenities of their new home. Actually, he still wasn't completely used to the bed because even after all this time laying on it still felt wonderfully similar to how he imagined drifting off on a cloud would feel like.

As he felt his body relax, Ranma let his thoughts drift, memories, ideas and questions floating in and out of his mind like all so much insubstantial mist. As he felt his mind begin to slide into sleep though, he found himself thinking about his life in Juuban. It was… very different from anything else had experienced in his life. Images of the people he had met in Juuban flashed through his mind: Etsuya, Takeru, Osamu, Ryoga… Hotaru. So many people… so many people that he had grown… used to.

As he felt himself fall asleep, his last conscious thought was that he decided he liked it in Juuban.

* * *

Ranma rolled off the roof and dropped onto Ryoga's lawn, barely managing to disperse some of the shock of the fall by shifting his weight, stretching out his body and landing on his forearms. Takeru dropped unceremoniously onto his back a second later, knocking him back down.

A few moments later a cacophony of crashing, smashing and even what sounded like a small explosion burst from a room on the second story of Ryoga's house. Pushing Takeru off of him, Ranma got to his feet and looked at Ryoga's house, where there was now a large cloud of smoke drifting out of one of the open windows.

"Great idea, Takeru," Ranma deadpanned.

Takeru got up, rubbing his head. "Hey, it's not my fault Koki found out we were trapping that room before we were ready."

Ryoga suddenly stuck his head out the window, coughing in the smoke. "RANMA! TAKERU! What did you bastards do to my room?!"

"Take it easy Ryoga!" Ranma shouted back up. "First of all, it's not your room and second it's all fixable!"

Ryoga looked like he was about to shout something back when suddenly what looked like a large dresser fell on him inside the room, pulling him out of sight.

"Wow, I can't believe that worked," Takeru marveled.

There was a loud string of curses and profanities from inside the room and a loud crash as Ryoga apparently shoved the dresser off of him. A second later, he stuck his head back outside again. He glared at Ranma and Takeru, slamming his fist on the windowsill angrily.

He seemed about to say something again except the window sill suddenly fell apart, throwing the Lost Boy forward. Even then things might have been okay, except that as he tried to push off the roof for support, the tiles slid away and he began sliding down the roof.

"Raaannnmaaaaa!" the Lost Boy screamed as he flew off the roof and into a net.

"Hey, it was my idea too." Takeru said indignantly as he and Ranma watched Ryoga get caught in the net. It gave way, trapping him and dropping to the ground, where it rolled across the yard, crashed through the fence and onto the street with the momentum of the Ryoga's fall.

"I can't believe THAT worked," Ranma said with a grin. He looked at Takeru and the two shook hands, pleased with their work.

"Ranma! Takeru! Stop Ryoga!" The two looked up to see Koki standing on the roof, pointing at where Ryoga had crashed through the fence.

They turned around in alarm and saw that Ryoga was quickly rolling away screaming, still entangled in the net. "Shit! Ryoga stay still!" Takeru shouted, taking off after the Lost Boy.

But he had already turned a corner, his fading cries telling them that he was disappearing quickly. In a net. Rolling down the street. With people and cars all around.

Ranma sighed and ran off after Takeru and Ryoga, Koki right behind him.

* * *

Ranma tore around yet another corner and quickly scanned around. "Ryoga! Where are you?!" he shouted. Once again, no answer. Ranma sighed. This was the seventh street he had searched since he had lost Ryoga in that large crowd of pedestrians nearly half an hour ago. The Lost Boy had knocked down a group of some other school students and then somehow gotten free of the net. A fight had then broken out between him and the students and Ranma, Takeru and Koki had intervened. In the ensuing chaos Ryoga had gotten lost again, and they had split up to look for him. But he might as well admit it now: he had lost Ryoga. All he could do now was hope that one of the others would find the Lost Boy.

Ranma took a moment to regain his breath and then looked around, trying to get his bearings. The street was completely deserted and unfamiliar. He didn't think he had been to this part of town before, but on either side of him were rows of large, grand houses. Houses that actually kind of looked like…

"Ranma?"

Ranma turned around and there she was, carrying a black book bag and wearing that red and green uniform he had seen her wear the first time they had met. "Hotaru! What are you doing here?"

Hotaru gave Ranma a strange look. "I'm going to school. I take this path everyday, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Ryoga," he glanced around one more time, hoping maybe Ryoga really was there and he had just missed him the first time. Seeing nobody there, he sighed. "We got split up this morning. Remember that plan I told you me and Takeru were working on? Well it kinda worked. Sorta. Man, you should've seen it though Hotaru! And we did it all by ourselves!" Ranma puffed up with pride for a moment, but his elation faltered as he thought about Ryoga rolling down the street in the net again.

Hotaru smiled softly. "It sounds fun, Ranma. But you must be very worried about Ryoga. You should go look for him."

Ranma shook his head. "You don't know Ryoga, it's hopeless for me now. I just have to hope that Takeru and Koki found him."

"I see. I'm sorry then, Ranma." They stood there for several long moments, uncertain of what to say to each other now. Finally, Hotaru said, "Well I'd better go to school now. It was good seeing you Ranma."

Ranma started to agree but as he looked at Hotaru he hesitated. There was something about her as she stood there in the gray-morning light; something in the quiet tone of her voice and the sad smile on her face that made him pause and feel like maybe he shouldn't leave. It was in the tenseness of her form, they way she seemed to close up her body and hide within herself; and more than anything it was in her eyes: deep, dark and mysterious; quiet and resigned… sad.

"Hey, let me walk you to school," Ranma said, smiling kindly.

Hotaru seemed surprised at the offer. "You don't have to do that Ranma."

Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, but I want to. C'mon, I want to see your school." Hotaru looked at Ranma uncertainly but after a long moment she slowly nodded.

"Great!" Ranma exclaimed, walking to her side. "Lead the way. Let's see what this school you've never told me about is like."

The two walked together towards Hotaru's School: Mugen Gauken. For once, Ranma refrained from talking about himself and peppered Hotaru with questions. He managed to feign interest in what she was learning in class and what her grades were (though he had to admit he was somewhat impressed that she had perfect marks) though he found out little about what her classmates or friends were like except that they were all very smart and talented. He knew she said she didn't have any friends but he was sure she was exaggerating. In any case, he'd find out when he got to the school.

Ranma managed to find a more interesting topic of conversation when he started asking her about the area. Apparently this was a very rich part of Juuban, which he realized as soon as they entered the shopping district. Though most of the stores were not open yet that early in the morning, it was lined with rows and rows of large, fancy looking stores, none of which Ranma could identify. Hotaru assured him, however, that they were all flagship stores and famous brand name and designer labels from around the world. He had been surprised when Hotaru told him that his home, the Meioh Condominium Tower, was actually at the edge of what was considered the "wealthy" district.

"Hey, what does your dad do anyway, Hotaru?" Ranma asked.

"He's a researcher and professor at Mugen. Actually… he founded the school and owns most of it."

Ranma stopped, eyes bugging out. "Wow Hotaru, I had no idea your dad was that important!"

Hotaru smiled sadly. "Yes, he's really busy with his research most of the time…"

"What kind of research?"

Hotaru seemed to hesitate for a second, but answered. "Genetic engineering."

Ranma rubbed his chin and finally shrugged. "Sounds cool. Hey wait, did you say he's a professor at Mugen? I thought professors were for college or something?"

"Mugen has classes from preschool school to the university level. A student could go through an entire education from childhood to a doctorate program at Mugen. Of course, it's only been open for about ten years so nobody's done that yet. I might be one of the first." She said it matter of factly, without so much as a hint of pride or boastfulness about it; but Ranma still looked at her with a newfound bit of respect.

He didn't care much for school or even understand the implications of most of what Hotaru had just said, but it sure sounded like Mugen was an important place and Hotaru must be really smart to be going there. "You're pretty smart, aren't you Hotaru?" he said softly, not really sure what he was feeling. He didn't really care about school or his grades or anything outside of the Art, but sometimes when he got his scores back and he watched his classmates comparing them to each other… sometimes he wished he had done a little better.

"I just don't have anything else except my studies, Ranma. I'd trade it all for a normal life." And there was such a deep melancholy—a lingering, lonely sadness—in her voice as she said it that Ranma didn't know what else to say. So they just walked together in silence for awhile.

Ranma watched as their surroundings steadily got more and more luxurious and impressive. Soon there were high rise buildings and skyscrapers all around—like the developed parts of Tokyo he had traveled through when he and Genma first got to town. The street started to become crowded too, filled with people hurrying on their way to work or school. The loud din of early morning life surrounded them—a sea of bustling activity very different from his own part of town.

Ranma smiled. He didn't always like it, but sometimes, especially after a long stretch in the wilderness, he really enjoyed seeing so much… life! "Hey!" he said, pointing at something. "Aren't they from Mugen?"

Hotaru looked at the group of girls ahead of them, all wearing the same uniform she was, and nodded.

"Well do you know them? Let's go say hi." Ranma didn't really know why he wanted to. Though it wasn't unusual, he wouldn't usually have gone out of his way to say hi to anybody from Shibakouen on the way to school.

Hotaru shook her head. "No, I don't know them."

"Oh," Ranma said.

And that was when he realized how utterly… alone Hotaru looked. Even with this sea of people around them, she seemed to be just drifting quietly through without so much as looking at another living soul, almost as if she were… invisible. As the crowd began to dissipate, the feeling only became more pronounced because now there were Mugen students all around her and yet she still continued to just slip quietly by. But more than that, they not only seemed to ignore her but actively avoided her. Students would see them coming and hurry away; others would glance at them and stop, whispering to each other as they passed. It was as if Hotaru had been completely cut off from the world around her.

It reminded him of himself, Ranma realized suddenly. Never in one place too long and always a stranger in town, he had rarely felt like he belonged as he wandered the streets and markets of any place. And yet things had always been okay because… because his father was always with him. Or he would eventually make friends, like here at Shibakouen.

But Hotaru… her whole life?

Feeling a stab of sorrow that the little girl who had helped him so many times would have to go through this, he drew nearer to her, walking close by her side so she wouldn't feel alone. Hotaru didn't say anything, but as they walked, Ranma thought that maybe she felt a little less sad.

After awhile Hotaru came to a stop in front of a large gate surrounding a giant skyscraper and Ranma looked around, confused. "Why are we stopping?" he asked.

"We're here, this is Mugen Gauken," Hotaru said, gesturing at the skyscraper.

Ranma's jaw dropped. He knew Hotaru's school must've been big but THIS was it? "This is your school?! This isn't a school, it's a skyscraper!"

Hotaru smiled at the shocked look on Ranma's face but nodded. "This is Mugen," she said.

Ranma stared at her in disbelief but she looked serious. And, well… it did say Mugen on the wall by the gate. "You gotta be kidding me…" Ranma muttered.

Hotaru shook her head and pointed at one of the rooms on the building, though Ranma wasn't sure which. "See that open window? On the 13th floor? That's my room. I usually sit there by the window."

Ranma peered at the room. "13th floor? How many floors are on that thing anyway?"

"Sixty," Hotaru answered.

Ranma shook his head incredulously. "You gotta be kidding me…"

"Well thank you for walking me to school, Ranma. I'd better go to class now." She gave Ranma a grateful smile that almost made him forget how sad she had looked earlier and he felt glad that he had walked her to school.

"I still want to see your class," he said.

Hotaru shook her head. "I'm sorry Ranma, but security is really strict here. They have guards and patrols and the latest security equipment. They won't let you in."

Ranma rubbed his chin. "Oh. Well, couldn't I…" Ranma trailed off as he saw Hotaru look at something behind his shoulder. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she screamed "Watch out!"

Ranma spun around and barely dodged a powerful punch. He flipped backwards, sprung off his hands and landed in a defensive crouch near the school wall, grinning. "Ryoga!" he exclaimed happily, despite almost getting clobbered in the head.

The Lost Boy gave Ranma a fanged grin. "Thought you could escape me with that net trick, coward?"

"Escape? We were looking for you, you idiot!"

"Liar! You ran off to be with some girl, now you'll die!"

Ryoga charged forward and Ranma was forced back against the wall by the attack. Around him, students screamed and backed away while Hotaru stared on in shock. "Ryoga…" Ranma said, weaving out of several swift punches and a kick. "Maybe…" he ducked under another attack and spun behind the Lost Boy, though he didn't press the advantage, "now…" he avoided a punch and flipped over the Lost Boy's head landing on top of Mugen's Wall, "isn't such a good time!"

Ryoga slammed his fist into the wall with such monstrous strength that it actually shook and cracked. Losing his balance, Ranma fell down and caught an uppercut from the Lost Boy that sent him flying back and gasping for breath.

"D-Dammit…!" He gasped, struggling to catch his breath as he pushed himself back to his feet. "I've had enough of this!"

This time, as Ryoga charged at him, he lashed out with his feet and kicked the Lost Boy's legs from under him, sending him tumbling to the ground. Jumping to his feet, though still a little disoriented, Ranma pressed the attack, landing a series of quick painful punches just as Ryoga got to his feet.

Ryoga stumbled backwards a few steps but just grinned. "That's more like it Saotome!"

And suddenly the fight was on in earnest. The Eternal Rivals attacked each other with ferocious intensity, this time not having to worry about traps or ambushes. They weaved in and out of each other's attacks, countering with vicious blows that sent each other stumbling and flying. All around, the Mugen students, not used to this type of brutal no-holds barred fighting, screamed and scattered, often getting in the way of or knocked down by the combatants. Only Hotaru stood still and watch in frozen amazement. She alone knew, at least on an intellectual level, what was going on and didn't panic; but hearing about it from Ranma and actually witnessing the fight in person were two different things, and she watched in disbelief as the two martial artists expertly attacked and defended each other with inhuman skill, speed and agility.

Suddenly, Ranma felt himself tackled to the ground from the side. He rolled a few times and started to stand up but stopped when he saw Takeru. He looked behind Takeru and saw that Koki had also tackled Ryoga and was barely restraining him.

"Takeru?" Ranma asked. "What's going on?"

"Do you have any idea where you are?!" Takeru hissed down at Ranma. "We have to get out of here now!"

Before any of them could say another word, Ranma felt a cold shadow come over him. All four Shibakouen students froze and looked up. Takeru sighed. They were surrounded by heavily armed security guards all pointing rifles at them.

* * *

Takeru yanked on his chains again, but they snapped to a stop, linked firmly to the metal wall of the room. "I can't believe you guys actually fought inside Mugen Gauken of all places. Why didn't you just brawl inside the Imperial Palace? Or attack an American base while you're at it?"

"Hey, we didn't know we had gotten inside Mugen okay?" Ranma shot back defensively.

"You ran over three security guards and nearly broke the gate!"

"We were in the heat of battle!"

Takeru sighed and looked at Ryoga. "C'mon Ryoga, you're strong. Don't tell me you can't break these chains?"

Ryoga grunted. "What do you think I've been trying to do since they put us in here?" He yanked angrily at the chains but even the Lost Boy's monstrous strength had no effect.

"Maybe it's best if we don't try to escape anymore," Koki said from his side of the room.

"Are you kidding?" Takeru said incredulously. "Do you know where we are?! The first two floors are the research labs. They say that's where Mugen scientists perform terrible, secret experiments that turn men into monsters—we're in the BASEMENT! That means its even worse!"

"All I'm saying is if I hadn't picked our handcuffs in the security office and Ryoga hadn't broken the door in that first cell they put us into maybe we wouldn't be here now." Koki said.

Takeru sighed but sat down, resigned. "I wish Etsuya was here," he muttered.

Nobody said anything but they all quietly agreed. If anybody could think of what to do, it would be Etsuya.

"Is that true?" Ranma asked after awhile. "Do they really do… those kind of experiments here?"

Takeru shrugged. "Probably not, but look at this place!" I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

Ranma looked around. The place really was creepy. They had been lead down into some dark and gloomy passage with a perpetual mist hanging near the floor. After numerous twists and turns, and passing through several large foreboding lab rooms that looked like something straight out of a horror movie, they had been chained inside this metal cell in a hallway full of such metal cells. But more than the dank, dreary look of the place, there was something… oppressive in the atmosphere. Something that seemed to squeeze and suffocate him; something that felt… strangely familiar.

"So what's so special about this school anyway?" Ranma asked, trying to shrug off the feeling.

Takeru gave a Ranma a strange look, then seemed to realize something. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you're not from here originally." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Mugen Gauken is considered one of if not the best prep school in Japan. From the preschool to the high school levels it has some of the best students in Japan gathered in one place. Even though it's relatively small, it's also considered one of the best research universities in the world. They have some of the most famous professors from around the world as faculty here."

"So you have to be pretty smart to get in here?" Ranma asked.

"Very smart." Takeru replied. "To test into Mugen you have to score in the 99th percentile of the entrance exam or have some outstanding world-class talent."

"Some people call it a school for sorcerers," Koki said, "because so many talented people are gathered in one place."

"But others say it's for other reasons…" Takeru finished, trailing off ominously.

On the other side of the room Ryoga screamed as he yanked at his chains again.

Ranma sighed and wondered how long they were going to be kept down here. They were already late for school—not that he minded, but the principal was probably going to yell at them again. At least they had Ryoga for an excuse. Saying they were escorting the Lost Boy was usually a good way to get out of trouble.

"Ranma!" came a worried, familiar voice. The Shibakouen students looked up at once outside their cell.

"Hotaru!" Ranma exclaimed in relief, jumping to his feet. The short haired girl looked at Ranma through the bars of the cell, half-hidden in the white mists.

"Please wait just a second, Ranma." She swiped a card through some sort of reader on the side of the cell and pressed a few buttons. A second later the cell bars swung out and their shackles clicked open.

"Hotaru," Takeru said, rubbing his wrists. "I have no idea who you are but I am so glad to see you!"

* * *

They made their way back to the surface and outside the building without much talk, everyone eager to leave the foreboding basement. Hotaru apologized for taking so long. She said she had to get her father to intervene but that it had taken longer than usual for her to contact him. They all assured her it was alright—they were just glad to get out of the place at all. They were all relieved when they finally exited the building and saw sunlight again, but nobody relaxed until they were safely beyond the gates.

"Thank you for getting us out of there Hotaru," Takeru said after they had all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Yes, thank you indeed," Koki said, bowing slightly.

"You're a lifesaver, Hotaru." Ryoga echoed; but when they all turned to Ranma—the source of their salvation in a way since he was the one who knew Hotaru—they were half-surprised to see him just grin at her.

"So I guess we'll call it even?" he said. Only half-surprised. It made sense that he was a jerk with girls too.

But Hotaru simply smiled back. "This was nothing Ranma, I'm just glad I was able to help you a little."

Takeru looked at the two of them for a moment then asked, "So you're Ranma's friend? He never told us about you." Hotaru seemed startled by the comment, and looked at Ranma as if searching for something. Takeru misunderstood her start and quickly continued, "Although I can see why he'd want to keep someone as beautiful as you to himself."

Hotaru flushed at the compliment, but Koki and Ryoga rolled their eyes. Ranma scowled. "What the heck are you talking about now Takeru?"

"Thank you," Hotaru quickly cut in. "And you must be Takeru, and these are Koki and Ryoga. Ranma's told me a lot about all of you."

The three named students turned as once and looked at Ranma in surprise. "Really?" Koki said in surprise.

"Just what exactly did you tell her about me Ranma…?" Ryoga asked slowly, eyeing his rival suspiciously.

"He said you were a really good martial artist," Hotaru said quickly.

"Really?" Ryoga said in surprise.

"My exact words were half-competent." Ranma shot back quickly, looking embarrassed.

"Hah! You admitted I'm a better martial artist!" Ryoga gloated. "You act tough but you tell the truth when you're with a girl!"

Ranma did a double-take. "Wait. What?! You're crazy!"

Koki rolled his eyes and Takeru quickly stepped in-between the two. "So you and Ranma must be really good friends," he said, emphasizing the word friends and giving Hotaru a meaningful look.

But she seemed uncertain and turned to look at Ranma, not sure what to say. It annoyed him that she wouldn't answer and he wondered what the heck she was looking at him for; but as he saw the uncertainty and hesitance inside those dark eyes he remembered that lonely, lost girl from the morning and spoke without hesitation.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "We're friends."

* * *

"So you're telling me she's NOT your girlfriend?" Takeru demanded incredulously.

"She's not!" Ranma shouted back angrily, about fed up with this interrogation. Unfortunately, what appeared to be all of class 3-D was surrounding him, everybody shouting out questions about this mystery girl that Ranma was rumored to be dating. He didn't know why this was such a big deal but none of them had even left the class for lunch yet, eager to find out more about Hotaru.

"But you want her to be right?" Takeru pressed.

"NO!" Ranma snapped.

"You know, if you didn't get so angry it wouldn't look so much like you're lying," Koki said, a smile on his face.

"But it's interesting to see that Ranma's interested in a smart girl," Mitsuo pointed out with a yawn.

"This is true," Takeru mused. "Yeah, I always thought you'd be into some sort of warrior-chick Ranma."

Several other students murmured agreements and Ranma thought he felt a vein pop.

"What the heck are you guys babbling about? Why would I be into some butch, uncute macho chick!" he nearly screamed.

"Hence explaining your attraction to the intelligent, graceful, and delicately beautiful Hotaru Tomoe. Ipso facto, quid pro quo, your girlfriend." Takeru finished with satisfaction.

"I don't even know what you just said!"

"Does she have big tits?" Osamu cut in, grinning with a far-off look on his face.

"Developing," Takeru answered instantly.

"But she's beautiful," Koki added.

"The pride of Japan in a few years," Takeru agreed.

"Will you stop talking about her like that!" Ranma demanded.

"Are you jealous, Ranma?" Mitsuo said with a friendly smile. "You must really like her."

"Probably in love," Takeru said solemnly.

"Or lust," Osamu suggested.

The rest of the class nodded, murmuring agreements.

"She's not my girlfriend and I don't like her!" Ranma shouted, his frustration with this embarrassing interrogation welling to a critical point.

"So you abandoned our duel to see a girl you don't even like Saotome? That's low, even for you." Ranma turned to see Ryoga entering the room, accompanied by Etsuya. Shoji, Fujio, Misao and three other hand-picked students from the class followed behind him.

"Lunch is served, gentlemen," Etsuya said as they began tossing bread to the rest of the class. "We got as much as we could but you're still going to have to share."

"Thanks guys!" Takeru shouted out as he caught a piece of bread.

"So what did you guys find out? Did Ranma sleep with this Hotaru girl yet or not?"

"ETSUYA!" Ranma screamed, as the whole class burst into laughter.

"Relax Ranma we're all friends here," Etsuya said, tossing Ranma a curry bread. "We're just teasing you."

"Yeah Ranma," Osamu said, placing a hand on Ranma's and giving him a reassuring look that calmed him down a little. "You should've seen how much we made fun of Takeru for going out with that girl who turned out to be a guy."

"OSAMU!" Takeru screamed, flushing red with embarrassment. "You promised we would never talk about that again!"

Class 3-D shook with laugher as they talked and joked with each other, reminiscing about times past and times to come. As the topics changed, Ranma started to calm down and even enjoy the conversation. He didn't know most of what they were talking about, but as he looked around at the cheerful chaos—the smirks and grins and the joking slaps, he realized that it was okay because Etsuya was right: they were all friends.

* * *

"Do your friends like me?" Hotaru asked one day.

Ranma stopped devouring the plate of cookies Hotaru had brought him and gave Hotaru a strange look. The question had come from out of nowhere. They had talked a little bit about the incident at Mugen and Hotaru's encounter with Ryoga and the others several days ago, but neither of them had brought it up since. "Sure, why not?" Ranma said slowly.

"It's just..." Hotaru had a distant look in her eyes, and Ranma saw that sad, melancholy girl he had seen that day he walked her to school again. "They were nice, but none of my classmates like me so I wonder…" she trailed off, her voice sad and uncertain.

"Of course they like you Hotaru," Ranma said firmly, though not sure what else to say. "Trust me," he added.

Hotaru smiled, but looked down at her hands. "Thank you for saying so Ranma… but I wonder how they would feel if they knew about what I could do."

Ranma stared at Hotaru's silent form for a moment, at a lost for words. They had this conversation many times before, but somehow she always seemed to doubt herself. He hadn't understood it before, but after walking with her to school he could see why now. She needed… more reassurance.

* * *

"So this is Hotaru's house?" Ryoga asked, impressed.

"She must be loaded!" Takeru exclaimed in awe. Koki and Etsuya didn't say anything but by the look on their faces they were equally impressed.

"Yeah yeah, get over it already," Ranma said, ringing the bell and knocking on the door impatiently.

"So are you going to tell us why you brought us here now, Ranma?" Etsuya asked, still looking around the house admiringly. "Are you getting engaged or something?"

Ranma decided not to answer and knocked on the door again. Finally, the door swung open and Hotaru appeared. "Ranma…?" she asked, surprise and confusion on her face. Ranma had never visited her on consecutive days before, and he had never brought anybody else.

"Hotaru, you remember Ryoga, Takeru and Koki," Ranma said quickly. Hotaru nodded and the three smiled back at her. Ranma then gestured at Etsuya. "And this is Etsuya, our class president. He speaks for all of us."

Etsuya gave Ranma a strange look but smiled and bowed slightly to Hotaru. "Very pleased to meet you Hotaru. You're even more beautiful than Ranma had led me to believe."

Hotaru flushed and looked at Ranma, who gave Etsuya an annoyed look. "I never said that," he said quickly, taking Etsuya's comment surprisingly well. "Anyway," he continued, ignoring Etsuya's annoyed look. He turned and looked slowly at his four classmates. "You all trust me right?"

They looked at each other uncertainly.

"Uh…" Takeru started. "That depends…"

"That's a strange question to ask all of a sudden…" Koki said.

"No," Ryoga said simply.

"Its okay, I wasn't going to do anything to you anyway," Ranma said to Ryoga, and then looked at the rest of them. "But the rest of you trust me right?"

Takeru and Koki looked even more doubtful after Ranma's last comment, but Etsuya gave them a reassuring look and then nodded to Ranma. "We do Ranma, we trust you."

Ranma looked at Takeru and Koki.

Takeru sighed. "Sure, I trust you Ranma."

"Yes Ranma, I trust you." Koki said.

"Okay, then don't move." Ranma hurtled a fist into Takeru's face that sent him flying. He followed instantly with a kick at Koki that the student barely dodged and a backfist at Etsuya that hit only air.

Koki stuck his head down from the side of the roof. "Ranma are you crazy?!"

"I thought you guys said you trusted me!" Ranma shouted.

Takeru got up, cradling a large bruise on the side of his face and glaring at Ranma angrily "To not punch me in the face!"

Ryoga looked at Ranma strangely and then snickered. "It's a good thing I didn't trust you."

Etsuya walked back towards the group, though he still eyed Ranma carefully. "It's okay… I'm sure Ranma has a good explanation for this, right?" He looked at Hotaru, who was staring at the entire scene in open shock.

Ranma sighed and pulled Takeru towards the door, though the young boy looked like he was about to punch Ranma himself. "Hotaru. Can you heal Takeru for me?"

Hotaru tensed and everybody else stared at Ranma strangely. Heal him? What the heck was going on? "Ranma…" she started, looking at him uncertainly. Ranma gave her the most reassuring smile he could muster. "Trust me," he said.

Takeru started to say something, but looking at the look of genuine concern on Ranma's face and the uncertainty in Hotaru's eyes, he realized that Ranma was trying to do something important, and straightened up, lowering his hand from his face. "Go ahead Hotaru," he said, trying to smile despite his injury.

Hotaru looked at the two for a few more moments and finally nodded. "Just as long as you don't punch me too, Ranma."

"I don't hit girls," he said, and gently pushed Takeru towards Hotaru.

Hotaru took a deep breath, and then lifted her hand up to Takeru's face. At first he looked at her oddly, wondering what was going on, but then the soft yellow light sprang forth from her hand and covering his injury. The others watched in awe, feeling the gentle soothing warmth even from a distance, as Takeru's injury faded away and finally disappeared, leaving behind nothing but smooth unbroken skin.

When she was done Takeru reached up and touched his face in wonder, not sure what had happened. He hadn't been able to see it, but he had felt the pain disappear until now… he felt perfectly fine. He turned around and looked at the others. "Is it…"

"It's gone…" Koki said, dropping to the ground and walking up to look at Takeru in wonder. "She…" he looked at Hotaru. "You healed it!"

Hotaru looked back quietly, timidly, not sure what to expect. She looked at Ranma, taking comfort in his presence. She at least knew that he for sure...

"So what do you guys think?" Ranma asked. "Class president? Good or bad?"

"Amazing!" Etsuya exclaimed.

And the others nodded enthusiastically, crowding around Hotaru to ask her what she had done and how she had done it.

"See?" Ranma said, trying keep from being pushed over as his friends rushed towards Hotaru. "We're all friends here."

Hotaru just beamed back at him, not sure what to say but feeling thankful and, for once… blessed.


	5. Chapter 5

Sound Hearts

KaosQu

Chapter 5

The wind blew and with it came Ranma. He slipped in with the sudden gust, invisible in that single moment his opponent let his guard down, eyes closed against the breeze. His attacks were smooth and precise, elegantly simple strikes that came and went like waves on the beach.

Ryoga was struck cleanly once, twice, three and four times—a solid combination of vicious punches that would've stunned most other people. But Ryoga stood his ground, as unyielding as a mountain. He slid back barely half a step—the timeless drift of a glacier. His opponent finished his combination with a powerful spinning back kick that hit Ryoga square in the stomach. The Lost Boy grunted and bent over slightly as it hit him but did not falter. He smiled as his opponent tried to pull his feet back and couldn't, trapped in the iron clench of Ryoga's stomach.

Ryoga grabbed Ranma's leg and with a powerful jerk, pulled him off the ground. With impossible strength he swung Ranma around his head once, twice, three times and then released him, hurtling him with incredible speed at a nearby tree.

Ranma twisted easily in the air, seeming as relaxed and comfortable as if he were in his own home. He shifted his weight and straightened his body out. He hit the tree feet-first and for a second, his legs bent and a smirk on his face, he looked like he was simply standing on the side of the rough wooden trunk. Time seemed to stop for one impossible moment as Ranma defied gravity, leaves shaken loose from the impact floating gently down around the young martial artist as he stared intently at his opponent.

And then Ranma was hurtling back towards Ryoga, kicking off the tree and back into the fight.

"That's amazing!" Hotaru exclaimed with open admiration. They were at Shizenkouen Park, where the two martial artists had decided to spar as Ranma's father had apparently cancelled his usual afternoon training that day and none of them had anything else to do.

"You get used to it after awhile," Etsuya replied casually.

Hotaru looked over at her companions sitting with her on the grass incredulously. "You're used to this?"

"They fight all the time—I thought Ranma told you all of that already?" Etsuya answered.

Hotaru nodded. "Yes, but I didn't know they were so... amazing!"

Takeru yawned loudly and stretched. "Yeah yeah, but we don't have to see it all the time. Ranma's fast, Ryoga's strong, we get it! I want to see something new already. See, Mitsuo's so bored he's already asleep." Takeru gestured at his chestnut-haired classmate who was sprawled lazily across the grass, fast asleep with a content smile on his face.

"Still," Hotaru said softly. "It's amazing…" Ranma and Ryoga were so strong, but she… She looked down at her hands and thought about how small and weak they were. She pressed one of them against her chest, feeling her steady breathing. So deceptively steady because at any moment and anytime she could… she gasped, her hands clenching as she felt the familiar squeezing feeling in her chest. An… attack…

She froze, completely still for several moments, as she felt her body begin to shake and the breath being sucked out of her. Please, she thought. Please let it pass… And it did, abruptly disappearing but leaving her, as always, feeling shaky and uncertain.

"Whoah, watch out!" Etsuya suddenly said.

Hotaru looked up to see what was happening, her eyes widening as a cloud of papers flew at her.

"Hey my homework! Get it back!" Ranma shouted.

"Ranma you bastard!" Ryoga shouted. "Resorting to such cowardly tricks when you're about to lose!"

Takeru jumped to his feet, grabbing at the papers as they whirled around them. "You actually do homework?"

"Just grab it will ya?" Ranma snapped, running through the cloud grabbing papers.

Etsuya grabbed papers, laughing as a sudden gust of wind sent them scattering even further. "This is ridiculous Ranma! How much homework do you keep in that bag of yours?"

"Everyone's!"

Hotaru grabbed at a handful of papers bust most of them blew past her. A gust of wind sent a storm into her face, and she let out a loud "eep!" desperately pressing the pages against her chest.

Takeru laughed. "I think Hotaru's getting attacked Ranma, you better do something!"

"Hey, this is blank!" Ryoga shouted angrily.

A stream of papers flew past Hotaru and she tried to chase them. She jumped at them, pinning several down with her body and just as she landed, the wind blew again. She closed her eyes, feeling the pages rustle past her, whirling around her body. When the gust passed she opened her eyes and looked around. She saw the others running frantically around grabbing at the elusive pages, laughing and shouting directions at each other. Mitsuo still lay on the ground sleeping.

They looked like kids playing in the snow, grasping at snowflakes; and watching them run around so carefree, Hotaru couldn't help but smile.

"C'mon Hotaru!" somebody yelled, she wasn't sure who. "This is fun!"

Another strong gust blew a storm of papers around her and Hotaru, looked up, watching them spin and twirl together straight up into the bright blue sky. The sun shone brilliantly, dancing on the bright white pages, and Hotaru laughed, feeling for a moment as light and free as the sparkling pages rising into the sky all around her—like she was a kid again.

* * *

Ryoga punched the last piece of paper into a tree, shaking it and sending leaves floating down. "Mr. Kumagi's history homework from two weeks ago. Terminated." The Lost Boy said with a grin before taking the page—wrinkled and with pieces of wood sticking through it—back to the big pile they had collected.

"Isn't that a little excessive?" Takeru asked, an eye twitching.

Ranma simply sighed in relief. "Finally."

"It's your fault for attacking me with your book bag," Ryoga said.

"Well it's your fault for actually getting hit with it," Ranma replied.

"This really is a lot of stuff though, do you really need all of it Ranma? A lot of them aren't even yours," Etsuya said, sifting through the pile.

"Yeah well, that's how you study, right?" Ranma said quickly, going over to gather up the papers.

All the Shibakouen students (including Mitsuo, who had finally woken up when Takeru fell over him) looked at each other strangely. Ranma was trying to study? He had never shown any interest in his grades or studying before. That was probably why he was in the delinquent class to begin with.

Hotaru was quiet, watching from the side and not sure what to say.

"Are you worried about your grades, Ranma?" Mitsuo asked. He was probably the only one who could ask Ranma that question without getting an instant rebuke.

"I'm not worried about anything," Ranma said quickly, stuffing papers into his bag. "Just have to be safe, you know. My old man wants me to do good in school."

The Shibakouen students exchanged another look. They had just had their most recent test scores posted up last week. They hadn't thought anything of it then, but Ranma's had been very low while Ryoga's had been relatively high and a small fight had broken out between the two over it.

"You sure Ranma? Some of your tests are in here and they don't look so good…" Takeru started skimming through the pages and pulled one out.

"Hey stop that!" Ranma shouted, diving for Takeru and wrestling him to the ground.

"Ack! Let go of me!" Takeru gasped as he tried to cling on to the page.

"10/40, last week's math quiz," Ryoga announced, picking up another page. Ranma retrieved his test from Takeru and dived at Ryoga.

"This one doesn't look too good either," Etsuya said, looking at another page.

"Or this one," Mitsuo said.

"0/30!" Takeru shouted out triumphantly.

Ranma glared at all of them for a second before starting to stuff papers in his bag again.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about," Etsuya said. "We all do bad in school. That's why we're the delinquent class. Ryoga got zeroes for four tests straight once!"

"That's probably because he wasn't there to take the test," Ranma replied curtly.

Etsuya raised an eyebrow, surprised by Ranma's answer. He had expected him to be appeased by it, or at least start making fun of Ryoga. He looked at his classmates. Apparently, this was something that really was bothering Ranma.

"If you want some help we could all work together, Ranma." Etsuya suggested. "We could study together and help each other out."

The others nodded in agreement. "Yeah Ranma," Takeru said, smiling. "We did it awhile back and it worked out alright until Osamu got bored."

Ranma looked at them and then said, "No offense, but I don't think I want you guys of all people to help me with school."

Mitsuo frowned, but Takeru winced and Ryoga looked at Ranma dangerously. Etsuya remained calm but eyed Ranma coldly. He knew that maybe they had gone too far prying into Ranma's grades earlier, but here they had genuinely been trying to help and he had shot them all down in a very insulting way. They all knew Ranma wasn't the most tactful person in the world, but even he found it hard not to be annoyed by Ranma's big mouth.

Ranma, to his credit, seemed to realize what he had said and regret it, averting his gaze uncomfortably; but still he didn't say anything.

"I could help, if you would like." Hotaru said.

They all turned to Hotaru in surprise, having almost forgotten that she was there. She was looked at all of them, but her eyes lingered on Ranma. She seemed uncertain, scared even, but there was a determination in her eyes that made her seem like more than the small little girl that stood before them.

"I mean, I don't know what I could do, but I would love to try to help you with school," she added quickly.

Etsuya smiled, his eyes lighting up. "That would be great Hotaru! A Mugen Gauken student helping us study—we'd have to do well with an ace like that up our sleeves!" He looked at the others, who nodded in agreement, smiling.

But Ranma still looked unsure, glancing at Hotaru uncertainly. "It's okay, I don't need help from a girl anyway," he said quickly.

Ryoga scowled. "That doesn't stop you from asking Hotaru to heal you all the time…"

Etsuya winced, thinking that Ranma could be a really big jerk sometimes; but when Etsuya looked at Hotaru, he was surprised to see that though she looked a little nervous, she was still staring at Ranma with determination.

"I know you don't need my help Ranma," she said. "But I want to."

They looked at each other for what felt like a long time, and Etsuya wasn't sure how or what happened, but finally Ranma muttered quickly, "Fine, alright I'll do it."

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "Don't make it sound like you're doing her a favor."

* * *

Ranma stared at the math problem in front of him, willing it to solve itself. If this were a fight, all he would have to do is focus, look for any signs of weakness, a single mistake and… "argh!" he punched the paper in front of him with a frustrated cry. If his were a fight he'd had won already with all the time and effort he was exerting on it!

Etsuya looked up from the other side of the table. "Number seven?"

"Six," Ranma replied tiredly.

"Hah! I'm on number eight!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"That's because Hotaru helped you with number four," Ranma said, rolling his eyes.

"Stop fighting, you two!" Etsuya cut in, rubbing his forehead. "Just finish the homework will you?"

"Okay, okay..." Ranma muttered. "What number are you on anyway Etsuya? Seven?"

"Actually, I'm finished. I'm just redoing it."

Ranma stared at Etsuya incredulously. He was done again?! Ranma didn't know how Etsuya managed to do it, but he always finished all his work first at the study sessions—and usually got most of it right. Etsuya had a reputation for being smart but lazy in school; but it didn't make sense that if he did so well here he didn't do better on his tests. None of the other Shibakouen students seemed surprised, though, so there must've been some explanation for it.

"You're really smart Etsuya," Ranma said suddenly.

Etsuya looked at Ranma in surprise. "Thanks, Ranma. And I'm impressed you've been going here everyday. You're really serious about getting your scores up aren't you?"

Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, well if you're all going to study I might as well."

Etsuya smiled knowingly and Ranma turned his thoughts towards the study sessions. They usually studied in the enormous living room, their books and paper spread across the grand mahogany table and the luxurious Persian rug under it. Today it was just him, Ryoga and Etsuya, but different people came everyday. Yesterday Osamu and Koki had been there as well, and the day before that Misao and Fujio had joined them. But the constants were always him, Ryoga and Etsuya.

And Hotaru. Hotaru… he had to admit, she was pretty amazing with all the school stuff. Anything they asked her, she had an answer right away. It was like she was some sort of magic… knowledge… fairy that had all the answers to everything. Or something like that. But in her own way, she really was amazing. It was just too bad she wasn't as good as she was at school with something useful like martial arts. Like he was. But all in all, it worked out.

"How's everyone doing?" Hotaru asked.

"Ranma needs help with number six," Etsuya and Ryoga answered together instantly.

"No I don't…" Ranma muttered, but Hotaru walked over and sat down next to him anyway. She leaned over and looked at the problem, biting on her lip gently.

"Ooo… that's a tricky one..." she said softly.

"I know!" Ranma exclaimed, comforted that she said so though he wouldn't admit it to anyone. "It's so annoying."

"But it's okay, Ranma. I know you can do this one." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Well of course I can," Ranma said matter-of-factly. "I just don't see the point. If this were a fight I'd be done already instead of sitting here staring at this thing waiting for something to happen."

"It is like a fight," Hotaru said. "You have to make it happen. Come on, look at it Ranma. Focus, what do you need to do?"

Ranma sighed and looked back down at the problem.

"What do you want to get rid of here?" Hotaru continued.

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know… the 12?"

"Right," Hotaru said, pleased. "And how do you do that?"

Ranma stared at the problem, rolling his pencil in his hand. "I…. don't know."

Hotaru reached over and took Ranma's hand in her own, tightening his grip on his pencil. She guided his hand over to the problem, slowing down as she neared the 12. "You want to…"

Ranma stared down at Hotaru's hand on his, looking at the problem. "I…"

"Come on Ranma, think about what you've done before..." Hotaru encouraged.

Ranma blinked, suddenly realizing what he had to do. "I divide!"

Hotaru smiled, drawing back as Ranma started working on the problem. "Then I have this and this free… and I can subtract this, and multiply this…"

"See, I knew you could do it Ranma," Hotaru said simply.

* * *

Ranma's slowly opened his eyes, feeling incredibly sleepy. His first instinct was to go right back to sleep until his father woke him up, but something felt wrong. For one thing, he wasn't lying down, he was sitting and for another thing this didn't look like his apartment, in fact it looked more like… Hotaru's living room!

He shot up with a start and looked around. It was dark, and the pale moonlight played tricks on the eyes, making shadows seem like people and people seem like shadows. He didn't see Ryoga or Etsuya anywhere, but next to him, head resting on her arms on the table, was Hotaru. He gently shook her by her shoulders, and, after a second, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"You're awake," she said, sitting up and stretching her arms out, the moonlight dancing on her figure and sparkling in her eyes in a way that made her look both beautiful and mysterious.

"How long have I been asleep?" Ranma asked, looking away from Hotaru, though he didn't know why.

Hotaru looked at the grandfather clock on the far side of the room. It was dark and the gold pendulum glinted mysteriously under the moonlight as it swung back and forth, but Hotaru squinted and made out the time: nine o' cock. "Three hours," she said.

Ranma rubbed his head sheepishly. "Where's Ryoga and Etsuya?"

"They left about two hours ago."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

Hotaru looked down, seeming embarrassed. "I'm sorry, you just looked so tired that I didn't want to wake you up. Ryoga said you were being lazy but I know you've been working really hard for the last week, and you must be exhausted."

Ranma gave Hotaru a strange look and started to open his mouth to chide her, but then closed it. "It's alright, thanks Hotaru," he said, though not sure why.

Hotaru nodded and Ranma got up and started gathering his books. "Well, I guess I better get going now. It's getting late and my old man's going to start thinking I made up this whole studying thing if I don't at least train a little bit."

After he had gathered all his belongings, the two walked quietly through the house. Ranma realized that he had never been in Hotaru's house at night before and thought how different it looked in the dark. For some reason, he had thought that it should've been full of light, warmth and laughter now more than ever; but as he walked through the empty hallways all he saw were shadows and all he heard were their own footsteps echoing eerily in the stillness.

And yet somehow it all felt… right for Hotaru. In the sense that somehow this dark lonely house seemed to match something in the dark lonely girl he had glimpsed so many times before. But when they finally reached the door and Ranma stood outside, looking back at Hotaru standing inside the dark doorway—looking like a little girl about to be swallowed up in the maw of some terrible monster—something in Ranma's heart squeezed and he felt like he shouldn't go; like there was something tragic about leaving this girl here like this; and he almost stepped forward and reached out, wanting to pull her away and to somewhere else, somewhere with him.

But he stopped. He stopped, but everything still felt wrong so he looked at the girl and said, "Hey Hotaru."

"What is it Ranma?" the girl said, almost invisible in the shadows.

"Thanks for um… thanks for letting us come over all the time okay? It's fun hanging out with you."

She seemed surprised, as if she weren't expecting that answer, but she gave a smile that lit up her face and seemed to chase away the darkness for a moment. "Of course, Ranma. We're friends right?"

Ranma smiled and nodded. "Yeah," he said. He looked at her, lingering for a second more, but then turned and walked away.

Behind him the lost girl faded into the shadows of the lonely house.

* * *

"Really, can't we do this later?" Ranma asked with a sigh.

"No!" Ryoga replied, and continued dragging him through the school. "The scores are up and we're going to check them now."

Ranma sighed again before pulling free. "Then at least let me lead! You've been dragging us in circles for the past five minutes."

Ryoga grunted but didn't resist.

Ranma led Ryoga through the crowded hallways, elbowing through the students. It was ridiculous how many people were going to check their scores, especially from their class. He supposed it was because it was because so many of them had been studying with Hotaru lately and felt good about themselves. Personally, he thought now would've been a perfect time to get lunch with so much of the school out checking their scores.

But Ryoga had grabbed him as soon as the lunch bell had rung and insisted on checking their scores first and so here they were.

They made it outside the building and Ranma located the large bulletin board that would have their latest test scores. Now where were their tests?

"Ranma, Ryoga! Over here!" Etsuya shouted.

Ranma craned his head, trying to locate 3-D's class president and finally found him waving his hands at the end of the board. Making sure he had Ryoga firmly secured he pushed his way through the crowd and eventually made it over to Etsuya.

"So how'd everybody do?" Ranma asked, noticing that there were a large number of other students from the class hanging around the board. Most of them looked… pretty happy actually. They were laughing, and shaking hands, congratulating each other.

"We did great! Everybody did great! Well most everybody anyway… Anyway, check your score Ranma!"

Ranma felt his stomach turn as Etsuya said that and watched as Ryoga checked his score. Everyone else did well, so what if… what if he didn't?"

"23/30!" Ryoga exclaimed excitedly. "That's passing right?!" The other students ran up to Ryoga congratulating him.

Ranma sighed and slowly scanned for his student number. There it was. Let's see, he got a… he froze, not believing what he was seeing. He rubbed his eyes and checked again, still in disbelief.

Etsuya saw the look on Ranma's face and grinned. "Come on Ranma, what'd you get?"

"I got… a 25!"

"That's amazing! Is that Hotaru a miracle worker or what?!" He slapped Ranma on the back. "Congratulations Ranma, I knew you had it in you!"

Ranma started laughing in relief. A 25! He had never gotten such a high score before in his life! "I got a 25!" he shouted as the others ran up to him to congratulate him. "I got a 25! I got..." he trailed off and looked at Ryoga. "I got a better score than Ryoga! Hah! Take that dog boy!"

"Ranma!" Ryoga shouted and jumped at the laughing martial artist. Soon they were fighting, but throughout it all neither of them could help but smile.

* * *

"What in the world is going on here?" Minako Aino asked as she ducked under a flying body, pulling her friend down with her. "It's like all hell's gone on vacation!"

Nomi looked at Minako strangely but said, "I don't know, but it probably has something to do with 3-D."

"The delinquent class?" Minako wondered, pulling Nomi to a side as a pair of students trying to strangle each other rolled past them. "Why would they care about the test scores?"

"For the same reasons you care?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Besides the fact that you disappear from class all the time and almost never do your homework? Sometimes I'm surprised you're not in the delinquent class yourself!" Nomi said, frustration evident in her voice. "Really Minako, I worry about you!"

"That's sweet of you Nomi, but as a future idol, I have other responsibilities besides school," Minako said solemnly.

Nomi sighed and continued following Minako when suddenly there was a loud crash. The two girls stared in shock as they saw the board with their test scores crash down, the fight quickly spilling over on top of it.

"Well, I guess we're not going to see our scores anytime soon," Nomi said, not altogether regretfully. She had thought Minako was crazy for even wanting to check it with the fight going on and everything.

"Darn it," Minako said, pouting slightly. "I know I did so well too!" Nomi looked at Minako uncertainly but didn't say anything.

"Hey, who are those two?" Minako suddenly asked, pulling Nomi close and pointing at something.

"Huh? Who?" Nomi asked, trying to make out who Minako was pointing at through all the chaos.

"Over there, on top of the table."

Nomi looked at where Minako was pointing and saw two Shibakouen students, one with a ponytail and the other a bandanna, standing on top of a table kicking and knocking down attacking students as they tried to climb up and pull them down. They seemed to be grinning and enjoying the fight.

"You really don't know them?" Nomi asked incredulously. "That's Ryoga Hibiki and the new kid, Ranma Saotome."

"Oo…" Minako said. "So that's Ryoga? I've never seen him before."

"Probably because you're gone just as much as he is most of the time…" Nomi muttered.

"But who's Ranma?" Minako continued, ignoring her friend's comment. "Am I supposed to know him?"

"See what happens when you skip school so much, Minako? Ranma's the one who beat Ryoga—they've been talking about him for weeks now!"

"Oh, wow… they're cute!" Minako said.

Nomi looked at her friend suspiciously then grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "Oh no, Minako! Don't you dare!"

"What? What's wrong?" Minako asked innocently.

"They're delinquents!" Nomi shouted desperately.

"But so am I remember? We're perfect, we should get married!"

* * *

Ranma pounded on Hotaru's door excitedly, eager to see her. He had run out of school as soon as the bell rang and actually had almost decided to ditch school early and sneak into Mugen, but managed to restrain himself. He still could barely believe he had gotten a perfect score! Now that he had actually done it, he didn't have a problem admitting how bad he had been doing before. Hadn't it seemed so impossible? Hadn't he been so hopeless? But he did it! He was amazing!

He thought back to Hotaru helping him and smiled. He hadn't wanted to admit it but it was thanks to her too…

He pounded on the door again, eager to see the look on her face when he told her what he had gotten. What was taking her so long anyway? "Hotaru! Are you there! C'mon, hurry up! Wait till I tell you what happened today!"

He started to pound on the door again when it suddenly swung open. "Hotaru!" he exclaimed, but then froze. It wasn't her.

Standing in the doorway, staring coldly down at him, was Kaolinite. "Oh, uh hi Kaolinite," Ranma said. "Is Hotaru here?" He still didn't know much about the red head but she had brought food and tea for them occasionally during the study sessions. He supposed she was okay just for that, though Hotaru still seemed to dislike her intensely.

Standing there, feeling like a bug being scrutinized under the woman's cold gaze, he started to understand why.

"Hotaru's not home," Kaolinite said and shut the door abruptly.

Ranma stared at the closed door, confused.

* * *

Ranma entered his apartment and kicked of his shoes, feeling a little disappointed. Well, it was okay, he could tell Hotaru later. And in the meantime…

"Hey Pops! Where are you?" He shouted, smiling broadly. He ran around the apartment, pounding on doors and shouting for his father. Finally, he heard a flushing sound and ran to the second bathroom, pounding on the door. "Hey, hurry up old man!"

Genma threw open the door, scowling as he pulled up his pants. "Ranma what in the name of all that is holy are you doing?!"

"I got a 25 today!" the young martial artist exclaimed, nearly jumping up and down with excitement.

"Eh? What?" Genma said, eyeing his son quizzically.

"25/30! A 25/30 on the last math test!" Ranma shouted again, smiling broadly and nearly beaming.

Genma blinked and looked at Ranma for a long moment before finally thrusting a finger at Ranma, a solemn look on his face as he stared down at Ranma. "A mere 25?!"

"Huh? What?" Ranma asked, confused.

"With all that studying, you should've gotten a perfect!"

"You're crazy old man!"

"To think I let you lapse in your training in the Art simply so you could do less than the best!" Genma dropped into a fighting stance. "Prepare yourself!"

Ranma jumped back, startled. "H-hey! Wait a second Pops!"

But Genma was already charging at Ranma.

* * *

Ranma collapsed on his bed, exhausted. Genma had really pushed him that afternoon, training him to near exhaustion. The old man looked like he really had it out for him. Ranma frowned, wondering what he did to piss his father off. The young boy sighed, feeling… disappointed? He had tried his best hadn't he?

There was a knocking sound and Ranma looked over at his open door. It was Genma. "Since when did you knock, Pops?"

His father simply smiled, however, and walked over to the side of Ranma's bed. He reached out with a hand and Ranma tensed, anticipating another attack, but Genma just tousled his hair—almost affectionately. "Congratulations on your test, Ranma. I'm proud of you."

Ranma stared at Genma in shock. If he had been expecting anything like this from Genma before, it had been completely erased by their afternoon fight. "You… are?" he asked dubiously.

"Of course I am," Genma replied. "Just don't let it get to your head, okay boy? You've still got a long way to go."

Ranma continued staring for a few seconds, still not sure if what he was seeing and hearing was real, but finally smiled and nodded.

* * *

Hotaru slowly opened her eyes, wondering where she was. She was laying face down and it was dark. Where was she? She slowly tried to push herself up but her arms felt weak and she felt her chest squeeze tight, sucking the air out of her. She gasped and fell back down, her body shaking. She laid that way for awhile, her eyes clenched shut as she struggled to breathe, her breath coming in small quick gasps.

Slowly, she felt her body stop shaking and relax. The feeling returned to her and she realized that she was lying on her bed. Gradually, the darkness began to fade away just a little, and she made out the shapes of some of her belongings in the room. But still, it was mostly shadows that stared back at her: dark, oppressive and lonely.

Her lamps… why weren't her lamps on?

Still feeling weak, Hotaru turned on her side and curled up into herself, not wanting to look at the shadows and wonder what was there anymore. She closed her eyes and imagined herself fading away, slipping into the lonely darkness.

* * *

"Have you found the talismans yet?" the mad voice asked.

"No… the last target did not have a talisman," the tall woman replied, rubbing her arms a little to warm them. She was comfortable in the dark and the cold, but this fog was sometimes too much even for her.

"And what happened to my daimon?"

The woman shivered, though not from the fog. "The Senshi destroyed it," she replied softly, looking away in embarrassment, wishing the fog would cover her up and hide her from his disappointment.

The voice was silent for a moment but then said. "I see, well at least the talismans are not in the hands of our enemies. Select the next target, Kaolinite. Make sure it has a very pure crystal heart—that is where we will find the talismans!"

Kaolinite bowed slightly. "Of course Professor, I'll do it right away." And with that she disappeared, leaving Professor Soichi Tomoe to prepare the next daimon egg.


	6. Chapter 6 (incomplete)

Sound Hearts

KaosQu

Chapter 6

Ranma jumped to his feet from his position on the fence as the door he had been watching finally opened. "Hotaru!" he shouted, waving and grinning broadly. The girl, who looked dark and somber in her dull red green skirt uniform, looked up. She first seemed surprised, then smiled brightly as she saw who was calling her.

"Ranma!" she exclaimed, and hurried down the path leading out from her house. "It's good to see you Ranma," she said as the two meet on the sidewalk in front of the ornate gate to her home. "But what are you doing here? Don't you have to get to school?"

"Where were you yesterday?" Ranma asked. "I came over but Kaolinite said you weren't home."

Hotaru froze, her brow wrinkling lightly at Ranma's words, as if he had just reminded her of something she had forgotten about. She bit softly on her lip, staring down at the ground. Her hands squeezed tightly on the handle of her book bag and, after a few long moments, she slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry Ranma, I don't remember what happened. I must have been sick." She looked up quickly at him again, worry marring her delicate features. "You're not upset are you Ranma?"

Ranma gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course not! Will you stop thinking I'm mad at you all the time? When have I ever even been mad at you?"

"The first two times we met," Hotaru replied.

Ranma waved a hand dismissively. "No I wasn't, and those don't even count, anyway."

Hotaru didn't say anything but smiled slightly. "So did you come just to see if I was alright?" she asked after a moment.

"So what if I did?" Ranma said with a casual shrug. "Something wrong with that?"

Hotaru smiled, shaking her head. "No, it's very sweet of you, Ranma. No one has ever done that for me before. Thank you."

Ranma's face suddenly felt hot for some reason, and he coughed, turning away. "Well that's not really why anyway," he said quickly. "Come on, don't you have to get to school?" He turned away, not looking at Hotaru's face, and started quickly walking down the street.

"But… you are alright, right?" he asked after a few moments as Hotaru walked up next to him.

"I'm fine Ranma. Don't worry, it's something I'm used to," Hotaru replied.

Ranma looked at Hotaru uncertainly but didn't press the issue. "So guess what happened yesterday!" Ranma exclaimed after a few moments of silence, a broad grin splitting his face.

Hotaru looked at Ranma, curious by his sudden excitement. "What happened?"

"I got a 25 on the math test!" He paused and pulled the test paper out of his book bag, thrusting it at Hotaru.

"Congratulations, Ranma! I'm so happy for you!" Hotaru exclaimed, her face lighting up almost as brightly as Ranma's. She took the paper and looked at it, seeing the score on top in bright red numbers and "Good work! I'm impressed!" written underneath it.

"Aren't you? It's just like you showed me when we were studying! One of the problems was even exactly the same! Look, the teacher even said he was impressed with me!" Ranma's words fairly burst from his mouth and he seemed to bounce with excitement. He continued talking about the test and what had been on it and what he had done right and done wrong. He lamented stupid mistakes that had cost him points and laughed at questions he had gotten lucky on. Repeatedly, he pointed out the teacher's comment underneath the score.

As Hotaru watched Ranma glowing and bubbling with so much excitement she found that she couldn't stop smiling. He was just so full of life and energy, and she found it infectious. It seemed to fill and lift her up, making her feel light and happy though she didn't know why. She looked back down at the test paper as Ranma blithely talked on about one of the problems he had gotten wrong, and gently rubbed the paper, taking the feel of it in. When was the last time she had been so excited or happy about something? When was the last time she had been so… full of life? She looked up at Ranma. She didn't know why, but being next to Ranma made her feel alive again.

"Hey Hotaru," Ranma suddenly said, his voice softer now.

Hotaru looked at Ranma. "Yes Ranma?"

"Thanks alright? Thanks for helping me." Ranma looked at Hotaru, his expression awkward and yet his words strikingly sincere. As Hotaru looked at Ranma she thought that she had never seen him like this before: so open and… genuine.

He turned quickly away after a second. "Don't tell Ryoga or the others I said that, okay?"

Hotaru nodded after a moment, feeling warm inside at the idea that someone like Ranma could've been helped by her. "I won't say anything Ranma. And I'm just happy that I could help you a little"

Ranma gave her a quick smile, and then started talking about the test again. They discussed strategy and tactics and what Ranma did right and what he did wrong and what he could improve on next time. They joked and laughed with each other, the people and world around them forgotten as the enjoyed each other's companies. For once Hotaru didn't notice any of her classmates around her—wasn't bothered by their stares or deliberate avoidance—for the first time she enjoyed her walk to class.

And then, all of a sudden, it was over.

"Oh hey, we're here." Ranma said, stopping as they reached the gates to Mugen Gauken. "You don't think they're going to arrest me again do you?" he asked, glancing around furtively.

Hotaru didn't reply, looking around at the large iron gate and crowd of students in Mugen's red-green uniform around her in surprise, as if she were seeing them for the first time. She suddenly felt small and helpless, everything around her seeming to press in against her.

"Thank you for walking me to school," Hotaru finally softly, working up a smile as she looked back at Ranma. "Are… are you going to come over today?" she asked hopefully.

Ranma seemed to hesitate for a second, but then replied, "I don't know, maybe? Man, can't we take a break from studying after I did so well?" He gave a sheepish grin.

"Oh. That's fine Ranma," Hotaru said quickly, her voice expressionless. Of course there was no need for Ranma to come over today. "Well thank you again, I'd better get to class now."

Ranma smiled, gave a short wave and walked away. Hotaru stood quietly by the gate for awhile watching him disappear. She shivered, suddenly feeling cold standing in the shadow of Mugen. She felt like she wanted to get away but there was nowhere else to go, and it loomed over her, like a giant swallowing her up.

* * *

Ranma sat at his table, laughing and talking excitedly with Etsuya, Shoji, Fujio and Misao about the test. Though less than a quarter of the class had actually spent anytime studying with Hotaru and improved their marks, everybody in 3-D was excited about it—much to the annoyance of the other classes. There was much boasting and the entire class buzzed with a stirring excitement as students who had once given up on school dared to dream again.

The more Ranma joked, laughed and talked, feeling lighthearted and at ease with his classmates, however, the more he kept seeing in his mind the image of Hotaru standing by herself at Mugen. Everybody was here with him, but she was alone wasn't she? She was alone, and he had just walked away and left her.

"Let's go see Hotaru today," Ranma suddenly said.

The others looked at each other, surprised. "To study?" Fujio asked, scratching his closely-shaved head curiously.

"Yeah sure, why not?" Ranma said quickly; but Shoji, Fujio and Misao looked at each other uncertainly.

"We just took the damn test, there's nothing to study _for_ ," Shoji replied, running his hands through his spiky blonde hair.

Ranma ignored the reply and looked at Etsuya, "C'mon Etsuya, what about you?" He would go by himself anyway, but he wanted more people to come.

The class president looked at Ranma intently with his piercing brown eyes, as if trying to decipher him. Ranma shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, but after a few moments, Etsuya slowly nodded, smiling. "Sure Ranma, lets do that. We'll ask Ryoga too."

Ranma froze as Etsuya said the Lost Boy's name, a startled look on his face.

Etsuya raised an eyebrow as he saw Ranma's reaction. "Ranma?"

The young martial artist simply jumped to his feet and started running towards the door. In all the excitement he had completely forgotten to walk Ryoga to school that morning! He was just at the door, however, when it swung open and Ryoga and Takeru walked in, a girl with long blond hair and blue eyes between them. Koki followed behind with another girl with short dark hair who fairly clung to the blond haired girl in front of her.

"I'm so sorry I had to leave so suddenly yesterday," the blond-haired girl was saying, holding onto Ryoga's arm. The Lost Boy looked nervous and shifted awkwardly, grunting some incoherent reply.

"Ranma!" Takeru exclaimed as he saw Ranma. "Where were you this morning? Do you have any idea how much trouble I had with Ryoga and Koki today? There were actually hunting me through the house! I felt like a stupid rabbit or something."

The blond girl glanced at Takeru. "I like rabbits," she said.

"I love Rabbits," Takeru said, slipping an arm around the girl's waist and drawing her away from Ryoga. "I was just about to tell Ranma how much I like role-playing as a rabbit." Behind him, Koki rolled his eyes.

The girl gave Takeru a quick smile but gently drew away and took a step towards Ranma. "Hi, I'm Minako," she said, staring intently at him with striking blue eyes. They were a much brighter and penetrating blue than Ranma's own gray-blue eyes and as he looked at them he was reminded of the colors of the sky.

"Ranma Saotome," Ranma said after a moment. He glanced at the others, wondering what was going on. Ryoga looked at him expressionlessly, while Takeru looked dejected, and Koki simply shrugged.

"So you're the new kid everyone's talking about," Minako said, pursing her lips for a moment. "You're not as tall as I thought you'd be. But you're very cute…" She took a step towards him, eyes sparkling mischievously.

Ranma tensed, not sure what was going on but feeling uncomfortable. "Er…" he said, starting to back away from the girl.

"Minako!" the short-haired girl who had come in with her exclaimed. "Stop playing around!" She grabbed Minako and pulled her back, glancing around the classroom with a nervous expression on her face. Most of the class had started noticing the new-arrivals and were eying them curiously. A few hooted or whistled—having girls in the classroom was a very rare event. Minako let herself be pulled back, but kept her eyes on Ranma. Her friend held Minako tightly by the arm, as if afraid to let her go.

"What's this, we have visitors?" Etsuya asked, walking up to the group. "And beautiful ones at that. I'm Etsuya, president of class 3-D."

Minako's eyes sparkled with interest as she looked Etsuya over. Her friend flushed, but if anything drew closer to Minako and clung to her more tightly. "I'm Minako, and this is my friend Nomi."

"What brings you to our classroom?" Etsuya asked. "Are you friends with Ryoga and Takeru?"

"And Koki," Minako added with a nod.

"I just met her today," Koki said from the back.

"Ryoga and Takeru never mentioned they had such lovely friends," Etsuya replied smoothly.

"Well, we just met yesterday," Minako said, laughing lightly.

Etsuya's confident demeanor faltered for a second and he exchanged an incredulous look with Ranma. Ranma wondered where Ryoga and Takeru had met this girl. She seemed to almost bounce with playful friendliness.

"So what brings you here?" Etsuya asked again.

"Well, we just asked Takeru and Ryoga to come hang out with us after school," Minako started.

"You mean you did with you," Nomi cut in.

"And we came to see if you wanted to come," Minako continued, ignoring Nomi.

"Really? You don't even know us," Etsuya pointed out.

"Oh, I'm sure you're great," Minako said, waving a hand dismissively. "And besides, you're cute!" Her eyes almost seemed to glow as she said that last part.

"We can't," Ranma said suddenly. "Ryoga and Takeru can't either." Everybody, especially Ryoga and Takeru, looked in Ranma at surprise. "We're studying after school today."

"Wait, we're what?" Takeru asked incredulously. "We just took the test!"

"What're you trying to pull here, Ranma?" Ryoga asked suspiciously.

"We're all studying after school today. With Hotaru," Ranma said, looking at Takeru and Ryoga meaningfully.

Minako seemed taken aback, the playful look on her face slipping off as she looked at Ranma curiously. "Oh, is that your girlfriend? You should bring her too."

Ranma nearly jumped. "She's not my girlfriend!" he said quickly.

Minako looked at Ranma strangely but slowly smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry. Well, that's perfect then. Actually, I'm supposed to meet up with my friends to study today—you should all come!"

Ranma regained his composure and looked at Minako suspiciously. They had just met—actually she hadn't even met Hotaru yet—why was she being so open with them? It didn't make any sense. They didn't even know Minako's other friends at all either! He started to decline, when Etsuya put his hand on his shoulder, pulling him lightly towards him.

"I think that sounds like a good idea, Ranma," Etsuya said, catching Ranma's eyes and looking at him intently. "I think Hotaru would like it…" he continued looking at Ranma meaningfully.

Ranma stared at Etsuya for awhile, and then slowly nodded.

* * *

Hotaru paused for a moment and looked up at the steps to the Hikawa shrine still stretching ahead before her. The sun streamed down, dancing brilliantly on the stone steps and off the leaves of the Japanese Elms elegantly bordering each side.

"We're almost there everybody!" Minako shouted from further up, at the head of the group.

"Ryoga, don't get lost okay?" Takeru shouted back down from next to Minako.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on fang boy," Ranma replied, ducking a casual swing from Ryoga with a grin.

Watching the sunlight stream down on them, their voices drifting lightly down with the wind, Hotaru couldn't help but smile. Being with people and going to new places likes this—it was something she had thought she might never do again. Being here now seemed to lift a weight off her shoulders she hadn't even realized had been there; and though she was a little nervous about meeting Minako's friends, she still felt


	7. Complete Story Outline

**Sound Hearts Complete Outline**

KaosQu

Author's Notes:

Though I never finished writing the story of Sound Hearts, I did completely outline it from beginning to end. The entire story as I planned it would have come out to 52 chapters, and I even did some brainstorming for both near-term and long-term "sequels" continuing the story of the characters into the Sailormoon Crystal Millennium time frame and beyond (though even I'll admit those ideas got a little crazy). If I had actually written Sound Hearts to completion, the story would've likely taken some different turns (as it already started to in the first 5 and a half chapters I did write) and been condensed somewhat, particularly in the middle where I felt some of Ranma and Hotaru's dramas got a little tiresome; but the ending story arc would have likely been largely as outlined.

For those of you who followed this story throughout the years I hope that this outline is able to give you closure as to how Ranma and Hotaru's story ends.

Unfortunately, FanFiction .net strips away a lot of the formatting of word docs when publishing so the organization of the outline is not as clear as I'd like it to be (mainly because it lost bullet points and numbered lists), but you can grab my original word doc of the outline from this link (with the blank space in the middle removed): "docdro. id/fpknDRl"

Chapter 1

First Encounter With Hotaru

While exploring town, Genma and Ranma run into Hotaru, literally. Hotaru is in a hurry home because of a particularly bad day at school and nearly runs into Ranma, who is running from Genma in a race or something. Seeing Hotaru, he does his trademark jump on head (or maybe flip) and lands. Hotaru stumbles down. Ranma is about to put his foot in his mouth but stops as he sees her scared and lonely face. It strikes him and he is at a loss for words. Before anything else happens other than their silent staring contest, however, Genma catches up and slaps on his back, demanding Ranma apologize and accusing him of breaking the family heirloom. When Ranma looks he does indeed see shattered pieces of something on the ground. Genma ultimately cons Hotaru into giving them a lot of money. [Work on Hotaru's characterization to make her darker and more quiet]

Restaurant Scene

Genma and Ranma enjoy their newfound money at an expensive restaurant. Ranma feels a little guilty but Genma brushes it off. After a bit Ranma gets over it and enjoys the meal. As they finish and the check comes, Genma looks at it and realizes it's more than they could pay. Giving Ranma the money, he tells him to pay while he goes to the bathroom. Genma, of course, leaves, stickling Ranma with the bill. When Ranma tries to pay, he is confronted by the manager and an argument ensues, Ranma telling them to collect from Genma. Finally, the entire restaurant staff comes out and Ranma makes a break for it using the Saotome Final Attack.

Second Encounter With Hotaru

It is night fall in a park when we next see Ranma, breathing heavily and lost. He has finally lost his pursuers (it got a little ridiculous when the released the dogs on him). He suddenly sees Hotaru standing in the dark and jumps, accusing her of causing all his problems. "Her eyes are dark and deep, like you could be sucked in. It's like she knows everything." (Dramatic moment TM). As they look at each other, he starts to feel guilty and her dark and tragic look has a strange effect on him akin to guilt [figure out the nicer way to say this later].

She apologizes and turns to leave. It is now Ranma's turn to be surprised as he is not used to someone backing down from him. Feeling guilty again he runs after her and… apologizes?! (maybe). After a bit of explaining (dwell on how Hotaru has never had anybody apologize to her) they reintroduce themselves to each other and Ranma shakes Hotaru hand in an imitation of something he saw his father once (remembering how his father ditched him he immediately blanches and regrets it). The two walk around for a bit and when Hotaru learns about the restaurant affair she wants to go back to pay. Ranma doesn't want to and tells her not to, and Hotaru doesn't have the confidence to insist. She tells Ranma its okay, she'll go back to pay by herself (focus on her mixed eagerness/sadness at leaving Ranma, the first person she met who's treated her normally). Feeling guilty, Ranma runs after her.

Restaurant Scene Part II

The two return to the restaurant to pay the rest of Ranma's bill. Ranma ends up insulting the owner's wife and gets chased away, leaving Hotaru behind. Hotaru leaves, sad at having been left behind so casually. She thinks this is normal though, her life now. When Ranma pops up again, asking if the fat lady was still there Hotaru is shocked but can't help but break out laughing because she has never met anybody like Ranma before. Ranma replies "Of course not!" he's special. Just like her, he adds as an afterthought. The two walk around for a while before Ranma walks her home (because he doesn't know where his home is). As they part ways, neither are sure they will ever see each other again. [Ranma and Hotaru don't actually think about that, this is more of a hit and run encounter]

Genma Finds Ranma

Ranma has been searching for his apartment all night but was unable to find it. Genma finds him the next day asleep on a bench near the building and scolds him, picking him up by the back of his shirt to yell at him. Ranma slowly opens his eyes and levels a flat stare at Genma before upper cutting him and yelling at him for sticking him with the bill. The two yell at each other for a while before breaking out into a fight. Genma eventually wins, pinning Ranma down and laughing at him. He eventually lets Ranma go and tells him to follow him home for breakfast. Ranma gets up, rubbing the back of his neck and still a little angry. But he cocks an eyebrow at the word "home." He hasn't had a "home" in years.

Apartment Scene

The home turns out to be a large, luxuriously furnished suite in a giant apartment building. The place seemed remarkably empty of people—even the large parking lot is empty. Ranma is overwhelmed by the quality of their housing and excitedly bombards Genma with questions. Genma answers with typical condescension before going to the kitchen to prepare some food. Ranma goes look out the window [figure out what the view is] and reflects on life before Genma mentions that Ranma will be going to school. Disbelief and argumentation (Genma: it's the law Ranma: so?) ensues before they break out into a fight [establish Ranma's skill level here, in which Genma obviously outclasses him] ending in Ranma's defeat and acquiescence to going to school.

Chapter 2

Introducing Ranma's Classmates

It is lunch time at school and Ranma is just leaning back in a chair yawning as he munches on his bread. Etsuya approaches and talks with him. Point of conversation is to setup Ranma's current situation and status within class 3-D at Shibakouen Junior High.

Etsuya: Looks like you got your lunch again as usual, huh Ranma?

Ranma: Of course.

Etsuya: I saw you brawl with Takeru over it for a bit…. [blah blah]

Ranma: Who didn't get any today?

The conversation is interrupted by some sort of commotion. Takeru runs into the class and some kids from the other chase him in. Etsuya comments that Takeru must've really pissed them off for them to run inside their classroom so recklessly and slams a table into one of the students. [Conversation revealing that Takeru had been hitting on the girls in the other classes or something because there were no girls in his class] Suddenly a whole horde of other classmates run in. A brawl breaks out.

After the fight, Etsuya explains to Ranma that there was a lot of antagonism between them and the other classes because they were considered the delinquent class. That's why there were no girls in their class and why they were let out 10 minutes late, causing them to always have to fight each other for food. Ranma is irritated at this.

Prank Planning

After school Etsuya approaches Ranma and tells him about a plan to play a prank on the class that attacked them earlier today. They were going to vandalize some sort of project they were working on. Etsuya convinces Ranma to go, pointing out that even the lazy/laid back Mitsuo was going.

The Prank

About 8 students are there for the prank. Focus on introducing the Ranma's different classmates. [People jumping over the fence by jumping on Osamu's back, Osamu taping on embarrassing photos of the students etc.]

The prank is interrupted pretty quickly when it is revealed they had walked into a trap. They are surrounded by the entire other class.

Fight or Flight

A fight breaks out and Ranma and company decided to run for it when they start releasing dogs. They split up and go separate ways.

Ranma is about to get away and decides to run into a park. He doesn't go far before he runs into Hotaru and knocks her over. They recognize each other but Ranma quickly runs away when he hears the pursuit coming.

As he runs he hears the dogs bark and Hotaru scream. Feeling guilty and worried [focus on this and his reluctance to go back] and runs back. He worries he's not going to make it in time but when he gets there, Hotaru is kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily and the dogs are standing away from her, growling. He then sees the students catching up, yelling something about accomplices and decides to grab Hotaru and run for it.

Hotaru Heals Ranma

Ranma and Hotaru stop. Ranma immediately puts his foot in his mouth and starts blaming Hotaru for everything. To his surprise, Hotaru is very sorry and feels everything really was her fault. He also notices she seems very tired and worn out.

Hotaru notices a small injury from the dogs and heals it. Ranma is astonished and says that's amazing. Hotaru is glad but says her classmates are scared of her because of it. Ranma says that's pretty stupid but she says she also hurts them…. Like today with him. Ranma twitches at that comment since he knows that it really wasn't her fault. He just says "ah yeah… well, it's still a cool trick."

Awkward silence ensues and Hotaru says "It was nice meeting you again Ranma Saotome, goodbye now" and turns to leave before Ranma realizes he's lost again and offers to walk her home. She seems surprised but smiles and accepts. As they walk Ranma awkwardly says she didn't have to apologize to him. Awkward conversation in which Ranma tries to exorcise his guilt without admitting it was his fault. Use scene to shed insight into Ranma's anything goes mentality.

The conversation gradually becomes more relaxed and they talk more about themselves and where they're from etc. Ranma is excited that somebody actually wants to listen to what he has to say. Ranma eventually even says he actually doesn't know where they were. Hotaru wonders how he was able to offer to walk her home then? Ranma stammers some awkward answer and Hotaru giggles.

Hotaru has one of her fit/seizures, which ruins the mood of the conversation.

The rest of the walk is rather quiet and Ranma wonders what's wrong with this weak, sickly girl. It didn't make sense to him, who was so strong and full of energy. And yet just a little bit ago she seemed happy didn't she?

They reach Hotaru's house and Hotaru apologizes for her condition. Ranma is once again uncomfortable at her apologizing and says she really shouldn't apologize so much. Makes some cocky comment. Hotaru smiles and the two stand around for a bit.

Hotaru looks like she wants to say something, and Ranma is just trying to convince himself to ask her for directions to his home.

Soichi Tomoe appears who thanks Ranma and teases Hotaru. He asks Ranma where he lives and he says the Meioh Condominium Tower and Tomoe points in the general direction of it and asks "the one there? By blah blah?" Ranma perks up and says yeah! He'd just walk in that general direction until he found it. Tomoe says that's a really nice place and tells Ranma to please come visit again.

They part ways, Ranma not really thinking about Hotaru anymore.

Chapter 3

First Meeting with Ryoga

Ranma is waiting the cafeteria for the curry bread to be called. Some of his classmates gradually come up to him and talk to him about why he's waiting and how he's so good he can choose which bread he wants just like that. It was almost like when Ryoga was there, and curry was his favorite bread too. Ranma starts to ask who Ryoga is when he sees the lunch lady prepare to throw the curry bread and focuses on her.

The classmates suddenly hear Ryoga crash in, shouting "Thank god I made it in time for lunch!" and are shocked.

Watch in anticipation of what happens as Ranma and Ryoga both go for the curry bread. They are morbidly fascinated as the two fly at each other. It's like an accident about to happen in slow motion.

Fight with Ryoga

Ranma and Ryoga are fighting while a large crowd of students watch and cheer the two on. Ranma doesn't understand what all the excitement was over. He's just trying to keep the curry bread to himself while Ryoga yells curses at him. He has to admit though, Ryoga was a really tough opponent. Maybe even almost as good as him, but still… way to slow!

Ranma's intricate plan is finally sprung and Ryoga is beaten. At first the crowd is silent, shocked. Ryoga had never been beaten before. And then… thunderous cheering as they crowd around him to congratulate him. Ranma is shocked and just tries to cling onto his bread. When somebody tries to grab it from him he starts kicking butt.

Classmates Introduce Ryoga

Back in the room, Ranma is nursing a few injuries, most of them from the crowd rather than Ryoga, and eating his bread. Across the room, Ryoga is eying him angrily with a few of the other students.

Takeru and Osamu are with Ranma and tell him about Ryoga. They explain his directional problem and that the class usually took turns walking him to school and back home, but they always would inevitably lose him for a few days or even weeks. They also explain his fighting prowess and anger and depression problem. That's why right now Etsuya and Mitsuo, the two most well-liked students were with him trying to calm him down.

Ryoga finally comes over to him after a while and declares that Ranma will forever be his most hated enemy and that he'll never forgive him before walking away. Somebody chases after him to make sure he doesn't get lost.

Everybody sighs and Ranma is just incredulous at the whole situation.

Ranma and Ryoga Overview

Overview of the next few days of Ranma and Ryoga's rivalry

Ranma and Ryoga have been fighting over bread and even just fighting in general over minor insults and such, which Ranma is good at, for nearly a week now. Despite everything, Ranma actually likes the Lost Boy. There was something about his direct and honest nature that was refreshing. Although all the blaming and fighting did get a little annoying sometimes.

Ranma finishes a fight and has some friendly banter with Ryoga about it as he eats the bread. Despite Ryoga's antagonistic relationship, the Lost Boy does seem to respect Ranma's martial arts abilities. Etsuya comments that Ryoga must actually like Ranma, which Ryoga furiously denies. Laughter ensues.

Convincing Ranma

After school Etsuya asks Ranma if he could walk Ryoga home. Ranma is reluctant but Etsuya talks him into it since the whole class does it. He says he'll walk with them this time so that Ranma would know the way next time. Ranma agrees.

Focus on Ranma's selfishness/jerky attitude here. Also focus on his defensiveness at not knowing his way around the city.

Walking Ryoga Home

Ranma is walking on a fence and following Ryoga and Etsuya as the walk to Ryoga's home. Brief conversation about what Ranma thinks about Juuban and where he's been. Ranma is excited to talk about it but Etsuya is more of a talker than a listener. Also Ryoga's been to a lot more places than Ranma and Ranma feels a little inadequate. He gets a little defensive.

Eventually a fight breaks out (that really is Ranma's fault) and they end up almost getting lost when Ranma starts running away as Ryoga breaks off mailbox and starts chasing him with it.

Hotaru's House

Ranma is breathing heavily as Etsuya catches up to him, asking where Ryoga is. Ranma points at the Lost Boy running off in some random direction and says they should probably go after him now huh?

Etsuya tells Ranma to just stay and go home instead, he'd catch up to Ryoga. Ranma had caused too much trouble already. Ranma feels guilty but says fine whatever.

Etsuya runs off and Ranma walks off, trying to rationalize to himself that the fight wasn't his fault (the idiot's always picking a fight with me etc.). Ranma winces, feeling some pain in his side. He couldn't believe he actually got hit by the mailbox…. And actually. Where the hell was he? He eventually realizes he's in Hotaru's neighborhood… in fact he's in front of Hotaru's home.

He suddenly remembers "that girl" [focus on how he completely forgot about her] and decides to visit her. She could heal him after all!

Kaolinite lets him and he waits for Hotaru.

Hotaru curios who had come. She brightens up as she sees that it's Ranma.

She heals Ranma and he talks about how great that power is. She doesn't really agree and shifts the conversation to him. Unlike Etsuya she's more of a listener and Ranma is excited to talk about himself once again.

The conversation is broken when Kaolinite brings in some tea. Hotaru is upset at this intrusion (like in the anime) and Ranma is a little curious but just shrugs it off, observing and thinking as he drinks the tea.

As he looks at her he starts to notice she appears visibly pained. He asks if she's okay and she just slightly nods but doesn't reply. She appears very strained. After a bit she starts to feel inadequate and says Ranma probably has better things to do and he can leave now, so he does.

As soon as Ranma leaves, Hotaru collapses in, breathing heavily and Kaolinite appears to scold her. Hotaru snaps at Kaolinite to leave her alone.

Morning Fight with Ryoga

Ranma tells Genma he has to leave early that morning and leaves the apartment. Genma just looks at him oddly. What was he doing going to school early for?

Ranma looks at the map Etsuya had drawn him of the way to Ryoga's house. Ranma had felt unusually guilty about the other day and so volunteered to walk Ryoga to school that morning. It had ticked him off a little when the Lost Boy had made fun of him and doubted that he would even show when he volunteered, but here he was.

Once in the house, Ranma and Ryoga talk a little and then somehow end up sparring.

After the fight, the two grudgingly admit their respect for each other's martial arts abilities. Concentrate on how Ranma is impressed that Ryoga is a martial artist, not just a fighter, unlike most of the others at school. Ryoga is actually slightly touched by the comment and the two walk to school relatively friendly with each other.

Chapter 4

The Usual Morning Spar with Ryoga

Ranma leaves home early to spar with Ryoga. Genma had been a little suspicious about Ranma's stopping morning training early but allowed it when Ranma explained the reason. Ranma enjoyed sparring with the Lost Boy and had now volunteered to walk him to school in the morning most days. Their lunch time brawls, when the happened, were one thing, but the morning spars were a lot more fun. It had evolved into Ranma trying to sneak into the house (which the Lost Boy was remarkably good at finding his way around in) and ambush Ryoga. The whole thing had become very strategic and fun.

This morning he goes through Ryoga's window and is ambushed from above.

Bonding and reflections on the two's relationship after the fight.

Ranma talks with Classmates

Ranma is out in the field by himself munching on some bread and staring at the sky zoning out.

He is attacked by his classmates. First somebody throws a knife at him (pretty dangerous) then Takeru attacks and Osamu takes him from behind in a giant bear hug. Ranma is beaten by the three of them.

They talk about him and Ryoga. Ranma hadn't fought with Ryoga at lunch today—they usually only fight when their taste in bread happens to coincide. Ranma talks about his morning spars with Ryoga and Takeru wonders how Ranma manages to heal so fast. Ranma just grins and says he heals fast.

Hotaru's Usual Heal

Ranma visits Hotaru to get healed. Focus on how Hotaru just expects Ranma to visit for healing only.

As they go inside, Ranma talks about the injuries he received today. Hotaru still can't believe what a strange relationship Ranma has with his classmates. It stands in stark contrast to the one she has with her classmates (but don't actually go into her POV to reveal this). She says Ranma has must have a really strong friendship to be able to do this. Ranma blinks, he hadn't thought about it that way and shrugs it off.

After the healing, Ranma thanks her and comments on what a great ability she has. Once again, he is faced with her own distaste for it. The conversation trails off and then Ranma asks if she had any more cookies like last time. She does and goes get them. She teases that he just comes for the food, he says no the healing too of course.

Stereotypical Reflection Scene

Ranma relaxes on his bed after some intensive training with Genma. He still isn't used to having such a luxury but he had grown too really like it. Having a stocked kitchen was even better—it almost made up for him and Genma's lack of cooking ability. He wonders briefly how Genma had gotten them such accommodations but then shrugs it off.

Ranma reflects on his new life at Juuban and decides he likes it.

Fight ends up at Hotaru's House

After a morning fight w/ Ryoga (Ranma flies out the window) that ends up outside, Ranma accidentally loses track of the Lost Boy. He chases after him but to no avail and finds himself in front of Hotaru's house.

He runs into Hotaru.

Ranma Walks Hotaru to School

Ranma walks Hotaru to school. As they go there, he realizes the full extent of her isolation as he sees how everybody is ignoring her.

Ryoga finds Ranma and the two get into a fight. Hotaru is surprised by the seeming hatred displayed by the two and is really worried/panics.

They two quickly stop and Hotaru is shocked that they don't really seem to hate each other anymore. They explain they're just always like that.

She apologizes and says she'd like to see the two fight again some time.

When they reach Mugen, Hotaru says she has to go to class now. They couldn't get in because of the security and her room was on the 13th floor, she points it out [this is so Ranma knows where she is later].

Test Scores at School and Talking about Hotaru

Ranma is being grilled by the others about Hotaru in class. Takeru is making a particularly big deal about Ranma seeing somebody from Mugen Gauken. He gives Ranma pointers on how to catch smart girls.

Ranma is annoyed and denies any interest in Hotaru (probably true at this point). They say that's a little harsh and ask why he was walking her to school then if he didn't like her. He ditched Ryoga for a girl he wasn't interested in? That was rather insulting. Conversation continues on these lines.

Ranma eventually thinks about Hotaru's isolation and feels sorry for her.

Interrupted when one of the other students runs up to tell them the test scores were posted, they all rush to see what they got.

Class compares test scores which are all pretty low.

Etsuya's is the highest but still pretty low. When asked why he did badly this time h says he got bored and fell asleep during the test.

Ryoga's is relatively high—he's been doing a lot better since he's been going to school consistently for a while now.

Ranma's on the other hand, are very low.

Scene ends with a small brawl.

After school Ranma and Ryoga go to Hotaru's

Ranma tells whoever that he'll walk Ryoga home

Ryoga is suspicious but Ranma explains that Hotaru wanted to see them right?

He adds that Hotaru always had good food and Ryoga is shocked that Ranma is using her like that. Ranma counters that Ryoga is must be hungry too right? After all, he just ate his lunch. Fight ensues.

Hotaru's House

Ranma and Ryoga appear, tired and breathing heavily at Hotaru's house.

Hotaru is surprised to be seeing Ranma twice in one day but happy.

She is shocked at the two's appearance but hesitant to heal in front of Ryoga. Ranma reassures her and she does.

Ryoga is surprised and Hotaru unsure but reaffirms Ranma's assurance to Hotaru that her gift is amazing.

Ryoga watches Ranma telling Hotaru "I told you so!" and wonders if this had been his plan all along.

Hotaru thanks Ryoga and says that Ranma told her a lot about him.

Ryoga is suspicious and asks what. Hotaru says that Ranma said he was a good fighter. Ranma says my exact words were half competent. Hotaru insists that wasn't it. Scene ends in a small good spirited argument.

Hotaru Watches Fight

Hotaru watches Ranma and Ryoga fight at Shizenkouen Park and is completely amazed. She tells them but they are nonchalant and much more amazed by her healing powers.

Ranma and Ryoga's stomachs growl and they rub their heads sheepishly.

Hotaru "talks" them into letting her buy them dinner.

Walking Home After Dinner

Everybody (except Hotaru) is stuffed from dinner

Hotaru is watching Ranma walk on the fence and wants to ask why but is afraid to.

Suddenly Ryoga asks why. He mentions that he always did that when walking him home. They talk about why he does that and Ryoga says it's just weird. Ranma says it doesn't matter what other people think, as long as he was doing what he wanted. Hotaru wonders how Ranma could be so confident and disregard others like that… even just by their neglect, her classmates could affect her so much. Ranma and Ryoga argue and Ranma wonders if Ryoga was just complaining because it made it difficult for Ryoga to follow him. Or if he was just jealous because he couldn't do it.

Hotaru is embarrassed because she thinks she can't walk on a fence either.

R/R notice and ask what's wrong. Hotaru doesn't want to say but Ranma insists.

When she says it Ranma is exasperated because he was just joking around. (Ryoga: really? I was serious)

Finally Ranma shouts out that Hotaru can do it too and pulls her up on the fence. He talks her into trying to walk on the fence, promising that he'll catch her if she falls. Trust him (dramatic moment TM). She does.

She walks and then Ranma tells her to start running. She does, starts getting tired, falls and is caught.

Ranma ells last one to Hotaru's house is a stupid Lost Boy and dashes across the fence with Hotaru in his arms.

Hotaru's House

Hotaru thanks R/R for such a good time.

R/R blink, not realizing that Hotaru had enjoyed herself, mostly just glad for dinner.

The two say goodbye and walk to Ryoga's home.

Ryoga comments on how nice Hotaru is but how sad she seems.

Ranma shrugs and says "yeah, I guess." Ryoga gets annoyed and says that Ranma had better take good care of her.

Ranma is defensive and snaps "Why?"

Ryoga asks "isn't she your girlfriend?" Ranma says "of course not!"

Ryoga wonders why he was getting all touchy with her then? He must be another Takeru, just wait till he tells the class.

Ranma gets annoyed and this time it's him chasing Ryoga, threatening to pound him.

Ranma: "Get back here! Hey that isn't even the right way you moron!"

Chapter 5

Park Fight, Hotaru's POV

Hotaru is watching R/R fight at Shizenkouen park. Even though this is the third time she's watched them fight here now, she is still amazed… and also worried. How can they do something so dangerous? She never could… brief minor seizure.

After the fight, she heals them. Ranma somehow makes fun of Ryoga and they fight with their book bags.

Ranma's papers end up flying out and Hotaru sees his test scores, which are really bad.

He is a little embarrassed but shrugs it off.

Hotaru shyly (focus on how much courage it takes her to suggest this) offers to help him but he refuses instantly much to her embarrassment.

Ryoga notices this and asks if Hotaru would tutor him. Hotaru is shocked but accepts. Ranma asks why Ryoga's getting help from a girl? Ryoga counters that she heals him.

Ryoga taunts Ranma about his low test scores and Hotaru very shyly says she wants to help Ranma.

Ranma finally agrees. Ryoga tells him not to act so cocky, like he's doing them a favor when it's the other way around. Ranma is getting angry, saying he didn't need their help anyway, so if it was so much trouble-

Hotaru cuts in and says no, she's just really glad that she can help Ranma and Ryoga (is very embarrassed).

Ranma suddenly feels very bad and sits down, pulls out a book and asks her to help him with something. And so the study sessions began.

The Study Sessions

Ranma is agonizing over a problem in Hotaru's room. Go over Ranma's impressions of her room a little bit—he hasn't seen it before despite knowing her for a while. It was bright because of the lamp but that just meant it was dark in the first place. It was nice, but felt a little claustrophobic as a result, despite all the space there actually was.

Ryoga is surprised that Ranma had actually not fought him except in the morning for the past 4 days and seemed to really be studying. Even their classmates had begun to notice.

Hotaru, for her part, was happy to both be able to help and see them on consecutive days.

Ranma had even told his father he'd be home later because he was studying. Genma, who had seen Ranma's test scores, had surprisingly allowed it without comment.

Ranma is frustrated but Hotaru encourages him. Says she knows he can do it. Ranma says of course he can, it's just that he didn't see any point in learning this stuff anyway. Stupid school. He sighs. Focus on his arrogance and cockiness here.

Kaolinite brings in food and the three's relationship to her is clarified. Ranma finds her creepy but great (food) and Hotaru has been a little less hostile to her. Though she was still annoyed by her interference.

Wakes Ranma Up

A few hours later, Hotaru and Ryoga wake Ranma up to go home. Ryoga comments on Ranma's unbelievable laziness.

They talk with Professor Tomoe on the way out too, who says he's glad to see his daughter doing such a service. Ranma is a little awkward, agreeing but not really wanting to admit he needs the help. He quickly leaves.

As she watches them go home, she reflects. Turns around and sees Kaolinite watching her. Her father's there so she just looks at her, says a curt thank you and goes to sleep.

Test Scores

A week or so later, Ranma checks his History test scores reluctantly during lunch.

It's higher than Ryoga's and he is very excited. Class 3-D is shocked. The other classes are annoyed.

Fight ensues.

Minako is watching and wonders who the cute boys are. She finds out from somebody (one of them is a little worried she was talking about Takeru). She's determined to meet them.

Ranma Decides to go tell Hotaru

Ranma decides that he should tell Hotaru. He is feeling guilty about the way he's been acting about the study sessions, but is rationalizing it in his head somehow (he didn't really need it, but she had been really helpful).

Bell rings and he runs off to go tell her. Classmates watch as Ranma runs off and wonder who's going to take Ryoga home as Ranma had been doing it most of the time recently. They start playing rock paper scissors (jan ken po?) to decide.

Minako suddenly approaches Ryoga and introduces herself.

Hotaru's not Home

Ranma is disappointed to find out from Kaolinite that Hotaru's not home.

But he then excitedly runs home to show Genma the scores.

Genma derides Ranma for not getting a perfect despite all his time studying and asks how his martial arts skill is after all that neglect.

The two spar and Genma beats Ranma solidly, but Ranma is still happy.

After the exhaustive fight, Genma says good job son. Ranma smiles.

Death Busters

At Hotaru's house, Hotaru wakes up wondering what happened and feeling weak and angsty.

Kaolinite talks with Professor Tomoe about the Senshi/Talismans.

Chapter 6

Ranma walks Hotaru to School Again

Ranma surprises Hotaru on her way to school again.

Hotaru doesn't remember what happened yesterday but thinks she was probably sick

Ranma expresses some small concern but Hotaru assures him she's fine now.

Ranma then excitedly tells her about his test score. She's very happy for him

Ranma then awkwardly apologizes for his attitude about the whole tutoring thing. Kinda. More like a half-hearted back-handed apology.

Hotaru accepts however and the two walk to Mugen in comfortable silence. Hotaru thinks about how nice it is to walk to school with someone but it ends quickly.

Ranma notices Hotaru's isolation but says nothing and goes off

Back at Shibakouen

Ranma is thinking about Hotaru when lunch sounds. He gets up to go get his bread when he suddenly remembers Ryoga. "Oh shit! Ryoga!"

Suddenly a voice screams out "Ranma!1 Because of you I've seen hell!"

They talk. Ranma feels bad at first but then puts his foot in his mouth.

One of the classmates point out wasn't Ryoga with a girl yesterday? Ryoga flushes but ignores the comment. Ranma pushes the question and Ryoga us about to attack when Minako suddenly runs in apologizing to Ryoga for disappearing yesterday.

Introductions are made. Minako flirts and tries to get R/R to go out with her after school. Ryoga is putty and Ranma is a little annoyed by Ryoga's behavior. He says they have to go study after school for the next test, not to mention the high school entrance exams. On the sidelines classmates make snide comments.

Minako laughs and says oh yeah, she had to study too why don't they study together?

Takeru tries to jump in but is ignored. Classmates comment on how cold Minako was.

Ranma is reluctant but Ryoga accepts. Ranma is a little annoyed by this. Minako suddenly notices Takeru and the others and says they could come too. Takeru insists on Ranma going and he finally agrees but says he see what Hotaru wants.

Minako oaks and gives directions to the Hikawa Shrine.

Walking to the Shrine

Ranma, Hotaru, Ryoga and Takeru get off the bus and walk to the shrine.

Only Takeru had come. Mitsuo had been too lazy, Etsuya didn't want to study, and Osamu had a date. Takeru had been particularly outraged at that excuse.

Takeru is happy however and excited. Meeting Hotaru had been a real pleasure, he had no idea Ranma knew someone like her—smart and beautiful. He wondered what these friends of Minako were like though. Asks Hotaru if she was excited too? But then again a beautiful girl like her probably had a lot of friends so this wasn't that special to her right?

Hotaru is despondent and responds in a melancholy tone. She says not really. Takeru is taken aback, this was not the response he expected. Ranma gives him a look.

Hotaru says she's a little nervous but she's really glad to be able to come help everybody like this. She wonders what these new people are like.

Takeru says well Minako is beautiful like you.

Ranma snickers and says she should've seen Ryoga with Minako. Takeru and snickers and the Lost Boy glares at them.

Walking the Steps (Hotaru's POV)

Hotaru stops for a second to rest. These steps weren't that long but she was getting a little tired walking. She looks ahead as Takeru shouts at them to hurry up. And don't get lost Ryoga! Watching the sunlight stream down the steps with the three figures in front of her she feels happy. Going out to new places with people like this… she thought that might never happen again. If only she weren't so weak… and if only she didn't… she shakes off that thought, she'd never do that, no… never. Not to them (hurt them).

Ranma looks back at her and asks her if she's alright.

She smiles, feeling a little warm that somebody was asking her that. Concern for her was also something she hadn't experienced in a while. She slowly nods and says she's just a little tired.

Ranma scratches his head and then offers her a piggy back ride. She is shocked but then laughs softly, saying he didn't have to trouble himself like that. She tries to continue but stumbles again. Ranma says it's okay, they were friends right, so don't worry about it. She blinks. Friends? He… had never said that before. She realized that even after all this time she hadn't even looked at it that way yet. Friends… the made her feel light and happy, warming the cold inside of her.

Ranma suddenly pulls her onto his back. She eeps and grabs on as he starts running up. He says geez, you take a long time to think for somebody so smart. You're sick right? So don't feel so bad about letting a friend help you out.

She smiles. "What about you huh Ranma?"

Ranma: "What about me?"

She shakes her head and just holds on, smiling as she hears them to hurry up again, he couldn't believe he had such slow friends. She just enjoys the moment. Spending time with… her friends. It was nice.

At the Shrine

Once at the shrines they look around and meet Yuuichirou. They ask about Minako and are lead to the study group.

Minako is excited and Senshi starry –eyed.

Introductions are made and (I'm single! I'm taken!).

They sit down and begin to study and Rei, Minako and Makoto start hitting on the guys.

Hotaru sits on the sidelines feeling a little left out but enjoying all the activity nonetheless. She's also jealous but she doesn't know it. She just wishes she had as much confidence at these girls and could be so carefree. She feels a sudden small seizure.

Usagi notices and tires to befriend Hotaru, asking which one is her boyfriend. Hotaru says it's not like that and Usagi's eyes widen "You mean they all are?!"

Usagi yells at the others to stop and confused hilarity ensues.

"Studying"

After everything settles down and Hotaru is at ease, they begin asking her about herself. Etc. R/R says she's really smart and helped them. Takeru says he still can't believe anybody was able to help them.

Minako exclaims that they're in the delinquent class too and is embarrassed. Usagi asks wasn't she almost put in there too and Rei points out so was Usagi.

Makoto says so Hotaru is like their Ami then.

Ranma says they can't be dumber than Ryoga though so don't worry.

Hotaru is asked what she's good at. She says history and is bombarded with questions.

Takeru blinks. You mean they were really going to study?

Session Over

Senshi wave bye to the four as they go home and then talk amongst themselves.

Minako calls Ryoga, Makoto calls all of them. Minako says no way, she can have Takeru.

Rei asks what's wrong with Takeru then? Minako says nothing, she just wasn't greedy that's all.

Usagi discusses Hotaru. You think she was with any of them? Minako blinks. She hadn't thought about that. Rei smacks her head and Ami says it was unusual to see Usagi think so much.

Usagi says as a future wife she had to concern herself with these things.

Cats cut in and say that as the future Neo-Queen Serenity, she had to worry about the enemy.

Minako remembers yesterday (had to ditch Ryoga) and gets frustrated

Conversation about having a "normal life" but as the Senshi they'd never get that.

They look wistfully at where R/R/H/T were.

Chapter 7

Hotaru's House

It has been several days since the shrine study session. Minako had suddenly cancelled a study session and they haven't seen her in a few days.

Ranma has been training with his father too so Hotaru hadn't seen him in a while.

Ranma recounts all of this to Hotaru in her living room along with Ryoga.

Suddenly, however, Ranma asks what she's been doing for the last few days. She is unable to answer and says nothing.

A conversation about her doing nothing, poor health, no friends, etch is drawn out of her She's really quiet and sad.

Ranma winces as he thinks about Hotaru and her classmates and how nice she is. It just didn't make sense. Finally, fired up, he decides that they're going to go out. Ryoga agrees.

Outside With Nowhere to Go

The three are standing outside with no idea what to do.

Ranma asks sheepishly "Uh, hey… I don't live around here, what do you guys want to do?"

Ryoga: "…" (no sense of direction remember).

Hotaru: "… this wasn't my idea?"

Ranma laughs, rubs the back of his head and finally decides to go "this way!" and walks off in a random direction.

Running into Etsuya and Takeru

The three are walking randomly and Ryoga is starting to get a little exasperated when suddenly they hear Etsuya shouting at them.

They turn and see Etsuya and Takeru. Takeru asks weren't they going to study today? Ranma shrugs and bluntly says that Hotaru hadn't been doing anything so he and Ryoga wanted to take her out to do something.

Takeru twitches. Normally he would've made some crass comment, but the thought of Ranma and Ryoga taking somebody somewhere was just a little too absurd.

Etsuya introduces himself to Hotaru and says so she's the miracle that pulled Ranma's grade up from the abyss. Then he invites them to go hang out with them for a while. A bunch of the class was going to check out this fun new place. They agree.

Construction Site

Five heads pop up over a fence and peer into a large, empty construction site.

Ranma and Hotaru are a little incredulous but the others insist that it's okay. Although last time Ryoga had gotten lost in it for an hour, but this time there was a bunch of them so it should be okay.

The other classmates suddenly appear and they hop over the fence. Everybody meets Hotaru is impressed that she goes to Mugen. And even more impressed that she helped out Ranma. Ranma says they weren't all that great either.

They go inside the incomplete building and have fun playing around acting like immature little kids.

They are interrupted and run off when somebody comes in and yells at them. Ranma grabs Hotaru and jumps out of the building with her to everybody's shock.

Ice Cream

Ranma, Ryoga, Hotaru, Etsuya, Takeru, Osamu and Mitsuo are back at the park lounging around by the lake eating ice cream. They had all split up after they escape except for them.

Takeru notices that Ranma and Hotaru are only on the bench and smirks. Ranma sees him and asks what. He says nothing, he just still can't get over the fact that he jumped outside a window down 3 stories with Hotaru and was fine. He grins. Saotome specialty.

Hotaru says Ranma's really amazing and he says of course. The others groan and tell her not to encourage him. She's embarrassed but says he really is. They laugh and say yeah, but that's not the point.

They all sit around for a while and wonder what to do. They talk about Ranma's past. They're all a little disappointed to learn that he'll probably leave eventually (so is he when he realizes it). But he has a nice apartment so maybe not for a while.

Others are curious about Ranma's home now and want to go see it.

Ranma's Apartment

Everybody is shocked and amazed by Ranma's large, luxurious suite ("I thought you were poor!")

Ranma shows them around a little and they see signs of where Ranma must have been training, but the place is surprisingly clean. Ranma says it's because they don't have much of their own to be messy with and he doesn't really touch the other stuff besides the food. Also, he's not really sure but he thinks a maid or something comes in. More shock.

Genma comes home and Ranma introduces everybody.

Hotaru apologizes for breaking the family heirloom and everybody is confused for a while. When Ranma and Genma finally realize what she was talking about though (from chapter 1) they laugh nervously and tell her not to worry about it.

Genma then says he's starving and is going to go cook something to eat. Ranma blanches and Genma lectures him.

Hotaru offers to help.

Dinner

Dinner is great and Genma comments on how good it is, just like Nodoka's. They talk about their mothers and Hotaru is sad to say hers died. However, she says that seeing Ranma and Genma together makes her really happy because Ranma has a father to spend time with.

Ranma is dubious and Genma laughs, saying of course of course!

Hotaru goes Home

Hotaru waves bye to Etsuya and Ryoga and goes inside. She closes the door and collapses in a seizure. As she falls she's angry that she has this condition even when she had such a good day. She passes out and Kaolinite appears.

Chapter 8

Lunch at Shibakouen

It's been several days and Ranma is very sore from his all-day weekend sparring/raining with Genma

Minako appears and sits down to have lunch with them out in the field by the tree Ranma likes to sit at. Most of the others were here today as well and greet her lazily.

Minako had reappeared again looking a little tired and asked if they'd study with her at the shrine again. Ranma had been busy training and Hotaru had apparently been sick. Ryoga and Takeru had gone once however.

Minako asks them if they wanted to study today.

Takeru looks at her and is about to say something but then declines. The whole thing was too much like real studying for his tastes.

Ranma glances down at his books and the test inside one of them. Worse though still passing. He had tried to read some of the book on his own but… it was hard, he had to admit. He agrees and so does Ryoga. They agree to meet at the shrine again.

Seeing Hotaru Again

Hotaru is excited to see Ranma/Ryoga. She is embarrassed to say that she didn't do anything the past few days again.

Ranma frowns but he supposes her being embarrassed is an improvement. They head to the shrine.

Shrine

Makoto on a "date" scene from the anime [episode 96]

Ranma and Hotaru then teased and asked if they had ever been on a date.

Senshi suddenly have to leave to fight a daimon, leaving R/R/H alone and confused.

After a bit they decide to leave.

Senshi Fight Scene

See anime. Don't spend too much time on this.

Seizure While Walking Home

R/R/H walk by a TV reporting on a fight between the Senshi and a Daimon.

Ranma asks Ryoga what was going on and discuss it for a bit.

Hotaru has a seizure, scaring R/R despite her saying she's fine. They wonder if they should take her to a hospital but she says she's not allowed to. In fact, she's even worried that she might hurt R/R and tries to stumble off saying she'd better go home.

They try to help her and she says please just leave her. Ranma scolds her for being so stupid though and carries her and rushes her home.

At Hotaru's Home

Hotaru goes inside and refuses to let R/R in. She thanks then, apologizes and closes the door.

She then collapses and passes out inside.

Inner Senshi Confrontation with Outer Senshi

See anime. Focus on introducing the Outers and the conflict between the two groups.

Hotaru Wakes Up

Hotaru wakes up feeling sick and angsty over her sad state.

Chapter 9

Genma's New Training

Ranma wakes up flying out of the balcony. He thinks he's going to fall to his death but then a rope around his waist stops his descent.

Genma yells at him and then challenges him to keep doing this until he figures out something to do or no breakfast.

Ranma is angry and on the 3rd try he stops himself by landing on the railing of a lower balcony.

Genma grins and dives down to fight him. Ranma's eyes widen and he shouts "Hey slow down! I'm not ready to fight like this yet!"

Breakfast

Ranma eats breakfast with some large bruises and thinks he's not going to enjoy seeing Ryoga this morning. Mutters about his crazy old man.

Lunch at Shibakouen

At school, Ranma is nursing several more bruises and muttering to himself. He didn't even get the bread today, Ryoga had won and he had been subjected to an annoying bombardment of shocked comments. It hadn't helped when Takeru had decided to try his hand too and actually won. That had been followed by Osamu and even Etsuya and Mitsuo. In fact the whole class had lined up but after he trounced the next 4 guys they decided to back off. Now he was alone with Minako by his tree—the others had decided not annoy him anymore.

Minako chats and is sympathetic. Ranma actually feels glad that she's there. She says there's no study session today but wonders if they'd like to go hang out after school.

Ranma thinks about it and declines but says Ryoga's probably free. Minako gives him a look and says she'll ask then.

First Time Not Doing Anything at Hotaru's

Ranma rings the familiar bell [dwell on this].

Hotaru appears, smiles and asks if it's just the usual?

Ranma laughs and says yeah, and she heals him inside the living room.

Hotaru wonders where Ryoga is and Ranma explains that he didn't feel like studying today and Ryoga was probably off with Minako.

Hotaru "oh"s and asks if Ranma was going to spar with his dad now then?

Ranma says no, he thought he'd just hang out with her for a bit today. Hotaru is excited and says she'll go get some cookies then.

Ranma smiles and leans back into the couch. It was nice having a friend like Hotaru.

Chapter 10

Haruka and Michiru Watch Ranma and Genma Spar

Haruka and Michiru are watching Ranma and Genma spar in the parking lot from their apartment.

Michiru teases Haruka, saying she know Haruka has wanted to fight with them since Ranma and Genma first moved in and started their morning practice. She can see it in her eyes when she's watching them.

Haruka responds coldly, saying she doesn't know what Michiru's talking about and that the fights were actually very annoying. They were lucky nobody else lived in the building.

Michiru laughs and recalls the time they fought in the parking lot and Haruka had gotten very angry when they jumped on her motorcycle. Haruka twitches and is about to say something until Michiru puts her finger on Haruka's lips to stop her and tells Haruka to go ahead and spar with them.

Fight Scene Prelude

Haruka appears in a martial arts uniform and interrupts the fight to ask if she can spar with them. Genma and Ranma pause their fight (Genma has Ranma pinned to the ground) and for a moment are struck by the picturesque sight of Haruka standing there waiting for their reply.

Genma: "You want to spar with us?"

Haruka: "Just one of you, preferably. I've been watching your fights for a while now and I'd be honored with a match."

Genma: Well, I'm afraid an old man like me won't have the strength for another match so soon after this last one, but perhaps my son would be interested if we made it more interesting.

Ranma and Haruka both look at Genma strangely. What? Actually, Ranma is a little suspicious.

Genma proposes a wager in which if Haruka loses, he'll (they think Haruka's a guy at this point) take them out to dinner. When Haruka asks where, Genma pulls out the business card to a really expensive restaurant. Haruka and Ranma's eyes bug out and Haruka begins protesting while Ranma starts taunting him so they can eat out that night.

Haruka demands to know what happens if she wins and Ranma replies mater-of-factly that such a thing can't happen when Haruka's so weak.

Haruka's about to go berserk at this point when Michiru suddenly steps in. She calms Haruka down by saying she wants to go eat out there anyway. Haruka's pride is still wounded, however and she demands to know what she gets if she wins.

Michiru looks at the two of them a bit and finally says that if Ranma loses, he has to give her (Michiru) a kiss. Ranma freaks out at this and Haruka is stunned for a moment, but after seeing Ranma smiles and agrees.

Ranma protests but Genma cuts in and taunts/shames the boy into agreeing.

The two groups break up into their corners and begin pep talking each other. Ranma isn't going to lose if its food that's at stake, and Haruka has regained her cool composure and is flirting with Michiru who is trying to make her jealous.

The Fight

The fight is a surprisingly tough one. Haruka is very skilled and graceful but her civilian form speed and strength are no match for Ranma's.

At one point she manages to pin Ranma to the ground in a complex move [Find one at ]. When he sees Michiru licking her lips however, he gets a burst of strength and breaks out with sheer willpower/strength. From there on, Ranma simply overpowers a tired Haruka. Ranma wins. [Either do this or have Ranma discover a counter to the move right there]

Post-Fight

Haruka is heavily winded and struggles up. She turns around and begins to walk away. Ranma calls out saying that it was a really good fight and that he enjoyed it. Haruka smiles and stops for a second before saying that she'll make reservations for the restaurant at 7, just be here.

Michiru looks at Ranma and expresses disappointment that Haruka lost and that she had been really looking forward to that kiss. Ranma blanches and says whatever.

Michiru laughs and ask if that means some girl already caught him.

Ranma thinks of Hotaru and shoots back "I don't have a girlfriend!" Michiru smiles and says it was rather gentlemanly for Ranma to think that he should only kiss his girlfriend, but a girl didn't have to be his girlfriend to have caught him.

Ranma just blinks. "Huh?"

Michiru walks off and just says to bring that girl he was thinking of right now, she'd like to meet her competition.

Ranma just stares at her in disbelief. What? Bring Hotaru? He's just perplexed but stops thinking about it when Genma slaps him on his back and congratulates him on the win. The two walk back to their apartment laughing about their good fortune.

Asking Hotaru

Ranma goes to Mugen to tell Hotaru about the dinner. Scares her by the window. She's shocked he managed to scale 13 stories to see her. He glances outside and says it wasn't too bad. She's very glad to see him however.

He looks around and observes the class, noting that while people were glancing at him, they were staying away from her. Far away from her.

He tells her about the dinner and gives her the business card when she asks where. She is shocked, knowing that it was a very expensive restaurant but he just grins and says not to worry about it, some people were treating them out. Besides, he kinda owed her for all the stuff she did for him. A little.

Hotaru smiles and agrees. Ranma says good and to just meet at his place at 7. Then he jumps down and Hotaru is shocked and looks out to see him hopping/sliding down the side of the building. She laughs. That was Ranma alright: amazing.

Hotaru arrives.

Ranma answers the bell and realizes for the first time that Hotaru is really cute. He realizes this is one of the few times he's seen her dressed in something other than her school uniform. But even then she wasn't dressed as nicely as this [She's a little dressed up, think of an appropriate outfit].

Hotaru comments that Ranma looks very handsome. He is also slightly dressed up. Genma had found him some jeans, and a collared shirt and blazer somewhere. She grazes his shoulder and stumbles a little feeling a small attack. He flushes a little and mutters a thank you and says she also looks "uh… nice…"

Hotaru beams, feeling happy that Ranma had said something like that and says thank you.

Genma appears, also dressed up and says it was about time, lets go to the parking lot.

Meeting with the Outers

Hotaru meets Haruka and Michiru in the parking lot. For a second, both sides are struck by an odd sense of familiarity and… foreboding? But it passes and they introduce each other. Michiru teases Hotaru and Ranma lightly and then they get in the car and go off to the restaurant.

The Restaurant

Ranma dines happily finishes his 35,000 yen roast lamb and orders seconds. Haruka just watches in amusement as Ranma and Genma eat. Well, she supposed it was worth the fight. Spectacular fight, really. First time she remembered losing in a long time to anybody.

Ranma starts talking and comments that while Haruka is very skilled, she simply lacks the physical attributes necessary to beat him. Hotaru smiles at Ranma's backhanded comment, as does Michiru who winks at her.

Genma cuts in and says isn't that partly because Haruka's a woman? Ranma sputters for a bit before finally realizing something. He points at Michiru and demands whether or not that's why she wanted to kiss him. Michiru wraps an arm around Haruka and says certainly not. She wanted to kiss him because she wanted to feel what it felt like to be a girl worthy of his lips, like Hotaru.

Hotaru flushes and Ranma just blinks. What? He didn't get it.

Haruka just laughs and goes on to reply to Genma. She says she didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or a not, but yes she is a woman. Genma says he has nothing but the most utmost respect for women, he was just curious. And besides, it was a fact that most women were physically weaker than men.

Haruka shrugged. We make up for it in other ways.

Genma laughs. Indeed.

Ranma starts to ask Haruka about the move she used to pin him down and comments that it was really amazing. He says it was similar to some of the things Genma used on him. He gets up and proceeds to demonstrate as much of it as he could recall and deduce from Haruka's movements (he explains that from the position they were in, there was a limited number of things she could've done).

The two Senshi stare at Ranma in amazement as he continues explaining and then argues with Genma as Genma derides Ranma for getting caught by such a technique. Michiru looks at Haruka and thinks that she's lost to somebody really amazing.

The two suddenly have the same thought: crystal heart. Could Ranma have a talisman?

Their dark thoughts are broken, however, when Ranma interrupts to ask Haruka about the move again. The two smile and dinner continues peacefully while Haruka explains her experience with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Dropping Genma Off

Ranma and Haruka carry a drunk Genma onto his bed, rolling their eyes. The man could really drink.

Before leaving, Haruka shakes Ranma's hands. Michiru teases Ranma about Hotaru and asks if they shouldn't give each other a goodbye kiss before they took her home? Ranma scowls and tells them to hurry up and leave already. Michiru says to not be so harsh to Hotaru. Ranma looks at her and she just smiles and thanks him for the nice dinner. He shrugs and says no problem, it was fun.

Haruka mutters especially since she paid.

Ranma tells her not to be so bitter, she'll get wrinkles.

Haruka twitches and is about to argue when Ranma shuts the door and says bye!

Kaolinite Drops off the Daimon Egg

Kaolinite appears in Ranma's room. He had fallen asleep pretty quickly She puts an egg in one of his textbooks and smiles. She had found the next target.

Chapter 11

Genma Wakes up Ranma

Even though he was drunk he wakes up first. Tells Ranma "don't think I'll go easy on you just because of last night!" They had both still woken up late though.

After the fight, Genma feels something strange and looks around Ranma's room. He starts looking through textbooks and asks Ranma about school.

Ranma had quickly changed, says he's late and grabs the book with the daimon egg, running off. Genma stares at Ranma darkly as he jumps out the window. Something was up.

Haruka and Michiru

Haruka and Michiru watch as well from their apartment. They're thinking Ranma may have a talisman.

Lunch at Shibakouen

Ranma's books slam into Ryoga's head and is used as a stepping stone to grab the bread. Ranma laughs as he eats his bread, the book bag slung over his back. They continue to fight with the book bag.

His classmates cheer both of them on. Minako wanders, sees the commotion and smiles. Those two were at it again. For a moment she gets a strange feeling as the books come near her, but she just shrugs it off.

After School

Ranma and Ryoga wave bye to Minako and walk to Hotaru's house.

They discuss how hard school I, especially the class with the daimon-egg-book (lets say math for now). Ryoga asks to see the book.

Ranma starts handing it to him then pulls it back. "Yeah right Ryoga, I'm not that stupid, you have your own book." He starts to think maybe he should look at it right now but then decides he wouldn't understand most of it without Hotaru's help anyway.

He thinks about Hotaru and last night and Ryoga notices Ranma looking at the book, guesses what he's thinking and starts making fun of his reliance on Hotaru.

Ranma gets annoyed, whacks Ryoga with the books and runs off laughing.

Hotaru's House

Kaolinite answers the door and smiles as she sees Ranma with the book. "It's good to see you Ranma"

Ranma feels a little weird but says "yeah, good to see you too."

Kaolinite asks Ranma about school and the book. Ranma laughs and says it's a no problem. He'd start on it later.

Kaolinite says that's good, can you show me the book? Ranma thinks Kaolinite is being pretty weird but almost does.

Hotaru appears, pushing herself pass Kaolinite. "Ranma!" She is happy to see him. "Thank you Kaolinite" she says quickly. "You can go now."

Kaolinite frowns and says "of course" and leaves.

Ranma and Hotaru stare at each other for a while before Ryoga whacks Ranma and says lets go to the shrine already.

Ranma laughs and says yeah. As they walk he tells Hotaru about his class and she almost opens the book but he takes it back saying lets not study yet. I want to enjoy the walk. Hotaru smiles and says yeah. They have a nice walk.

"Studying" at the Shrine

Scene opens with Hotaru wincing as Ranma takes a hit; even after watching so many fights between R/R, she still hasn't gotten completely over it.

Ranma manages to bean Ryoga with a good hit and flashes Hotaru a victory sign. Hotaru giggles and yells out "nice hit Ranma!"

Ami comes out and sits down next to Hotaru. She has finally gotten the others to go back to studying. When R/R had started sparring they had also been amazed and started watching, cheering the two on.

Ami had just been attacked and now has a conversation with Hotaru about the studying/following your dreams etc. stuff. [see episode 97].

Suddenly, Ranma shouts out to Hotaru that he managed to do the move Haruka showed him, look look! Hotaru looks and sure enough Ryoga is pinned down. Ami comments that Ranma sure acts like a kid sometimes.

Suddenly the other Senshi all appear and begin excitedly asking if they knew Haruka too. Hotaru says they had dinner with her last night and the Senshi's eyes bug out. They start asking questions before Aim finally tells them to stop and start studying.

Senshi argue that the others weren't studying and Hotaru takes Ranma's textbook, agreeing with Ami. She starts to call for Ranma and open the textbook when all of a sudden Ryoga flies into them and into the table, breaking it. Everybody stares at Ryoga an, unconscious on the broken table.

Ranma walks in, rubbing his head sheepishly and looking around. "Um… sorry?" he tries.

Rei bursts out "Ranma! How could you break my table like that?"

Walking Home

R/R/H are walking home eating ice cream. After the table broke, Usagi had declared that they were going to go table-shopping. They did, had fun and ice cream and Rei had ended up forgiving Ranma since Hotaru had been so helpful tutoring them. The other Senshi thanked Ranma for ending the session.

Now they were walking home and talking about how they got no studying done. Ranma shrugs it off but Hotaru is really worried. Finally, Ranma says fine fine lets look at it now and stuffs the rest of the ice cream come in his mouth. Hotaru giggles at the sight as Ranma finally opens his math book.

A daimon jumps out and everybody stares in shock.

Chapter 12

The Daimon Fight

Ranma recovers from his shock and dodges an attack and rolls away. He regards the monster for a few moments and thinks that theses must be the things the Senshi were fighting. He gets excited at the thought that he'd get a chance to fight it now and starts to rush in when he sudden realizes that the monster is a girl. He hesitates but then it lunges at him and he is caught up in a defensive battle with the thing.

He suddenly hears a gasp and sees Hotaru having a seizure. He tries to disengage but the Daimon keeps pushing to attack him. Suddenly, an ice cream cone flies into the Daimon's face. Ryoga! Ryoga dashes towards the daimon, yelling at Ranma to go get Hotaru.

He does and Hotaru weakly tells him not to worry about her, even trying to heal a cut she sees on his arm. Ranma stops her angrily. "Stupid! Don't tire yourself!"

Suddenly, the Daimon yells "Chapter Two!" and clones itself and attacks Ranma. Ranma grabs Hotaru and dodges. He sees Hotaru shaking, and puts her down. He gets angry at the Daimon and destroys it without thinking after a brief fight in which he lands a powerful hit to its head. He only hesitates for a moment after doing so, considering the thought that he may have just killed a girl monster thing.

He turns to Ryoga then and sees him crash into a wall. The daimon then turns to Ranma, makes 5 more clones and starts running towards him. Ranma realizes with shock that it was him they were after. He dodges several long-range attacks, throws the daimons near him at the further ones.

He then places Hotaru behind a tree. She keeps apologizing, delirious and fading in and out, but he just tells her to stop being so stupid, he was fine. Just stay here and he'd go take care of the monsters.

Ranma then walks out and taunts them. Fight ensues. Ranma fights brilliantly but is hard pressed. Ryoga joins in and Ranma says "About time, I was starting to think you got lost again!"

Ryoga says "shut up! How's Hotaru?" Ranma: "She's fine, they're after me.

Outers are Watching

Outers are watching the fight. They want to intervene but they can't. Ranma might have talisman, and they couldn't do anything until they were sure.

Back to the Fight

Daimons have split up into long-range and close-range groups. Ranma tells Ryoga his plan to have him thrown at the long range ones.

Ryoga throws Ranma with pleasure. Ranma quickly takes out two of the rangers but finds out the last one is the original one. Was this a trap? It doesn't matter, Ranma fights the monster with everything he has but he is losing the fight.

Finally, he gets pinned. His last thoughts as the daimon draws out was that Haruka had had him like this yesterday too...

Ryoga and the Fight

Ryoga finishes off the last Daimon only to see Ranma being attacked as Hotaru screams out.

He runs towards Ranma but is stopped by a deep submerge. Outers appear. Conversation about aren't the Senshi supposed to help others? They say he doesn't understand.

Suddenly Genma attacks and kills the Daimon. Ranma's heart flies away. Haruka attacks Genma while Michiru goes for the heart. Ryoga runs for it too but Michiru gets it first. Says this isn't the talisman and gives the heart back.

Ranma Wakes Up

Ranma recovers and looks around and asks what happened, wondering why Genma is there. He's told and says "That means I…" he lost. Dammit! Dammit! He punches the ground, cracking the concrete. Hotaru gasps, wants to say something but is too scared.

Inners Watching

The inners are watching. They were too late to do anything, but at least R/R/H were safe. Still… what was going on with those other Senshi?

Chapter 13

Lunch at Ranma's School

Ranma asks Minako to take care of Ryoga after school for him. He has to go home right away.

Minako is worried. Ranma didn't even fight for bread today. She says she heard about the daimon attack [Ranma didn't know it was called a daimon, use this scene to introduce the term to him] and asks if he's alright. He's annoyed and says yes. Just take care of Ryoga will you? She says okay.

Ranma wanders off to this tree. Ryoga appears, worried. He says he's fine. Suddenly, his classmates appear, asking if it was true Ranma got beaten up by a monster and saved by the Senshi. Ranma explodes and runs off.

Minako/Ryoga talk. Ryoga angry at the Senshi. Minako tries to explain without revealing her identity.

Lunch at Hotaru's School

Hotaru is sitting by the window, staring off into space and thinking/worried about Ranma. She feels like the whole thing was her fault. People always got hurt when she had one of her seizures… that was why everybody stayed away from her. And now…

Ranma appears by the window and goes boo! Hotaru jumps slightly and turns to see Ranma. She is unsure of how to feel. A part of her doesn't want him to be near her and possibly get hurt again, yet she was glad to see him. She asks him what he's doing here?

He shrugs and said he had nothing better to do. There is awkward silence and Hotaru is thinking maybe she should tell him to stay away from her when he sees her lunch and exclaims that it looked really good. High quality stuff, of course he should've expected it from such a nice school. He hops in and asks if he can have some, she smile and says yeah.

As he's eating, the two are in silence. Finally Ranma softly asks "Hey Hotaru, about the fight… did I… I mean, did I do alright?"

Hotaru is shocked; this was not what she had been expecting at all. Finally she notices the sad look in his face. It seemed… so much like her own.

But then it fades away and Ranma starts to leave, says he'd better go now. Hotaru asks where and he shrugs, said he didn't know. Just go for a walk he guessed. He starts to leave and Hotaru says wait! Take me with you! She smiles and says yes, she's sure. He scoops her up and jumps out the window.

Brief Rooftop Hopping

Hotaru clings to Ranma, laughing and feeling free as he hops over rooftops. [Spend a paragraph or two describing how she feels].

Ranma stops after a while and she gets off, laughing. Ranma says it's better if they're up here, safe from the police.

Hotaru giggles, saying they're partners in crime now. Looks over the roof and gasps at how high up they were. Ranma says it's about 20 floors up he thinks.

Hotaru says he's really amazing… hesitates and then adds, "Just like yesterday. You were really amazing fighting that monster."

Ranma stares at Hotaru and she sees that sad look again. "You're the first one to say that… but I lost didn't I? If pops hadn't come it would've taken my… heart or whatever that was…" He clenches his fist, feeling angry.

Hotaru takes Ranma's hands and shakes her head vehemently. "No Ranma! I thought you were very brave. It was amazing!" Ranma is quiet for a moment and then slowly gets cocky again. Hotaru withdraws her hands, glad to see Ranma back to normal again. She's a little sad though and apologizes.

Now Ranma is startled and huhs?

Hotaru claims it was her fault… she always got people hurt like this. Whenever she had a seizure bad things would happen, like this. She says maybe he'd better stay away from her from now on.

Ranma scowls and jumps in front of her to glare at her. He tells her to stop being so stupid, she didn't have anything to do with it so stop being all cocky and taking credit for the whole thing. Geez, after all the trouble he went fighting that thing and protecting her and now she was saying all of this?

Hotaru is taken aback and stares. After a moment she smiles and laughs softly. She says "I apologize then Ranma. Thank you Ranma, for everything."

Ranma stares at her and rubs his chin. "Don't you mean for protecting you from that daimon that was going to rip you to pieces and eat your brains unless I had been there to save you?"

Hotaru smiles and says "that too…"

Ranma jumps back and grins. "No problem! I'm just glad you're safe." He looks around and then says "c'mon, lets go do something!"

Hotaru eeps as Ranma scoops her up again.

Shizenkouen Park

Ranma and Hotaru are walking by the lake at their park. Ranma is skipping stones. Hotaru watches all the couples and people walking around and wonders if she and Ranma looked just like them.

Hotaru mentions that they met here. Ranma blinks and looks around. Was it really? She says this was where they shook hands and introduced themselves. Ranma cocks his head and then says hey, you're right.

Hotaru smiles and asks if she could try to skip some stones too. Ranma tries to teach her and explains how on the road he had to find something to do to pass the time such as this.

They try throwing rocks at trees. Hotaru throws one and it is deflected back at her. Setsuna walks out and says "That was a nice throw…" Hotaru has a brief deja vu/flashback moment. Setsuna asks her if she was supposed to be in school right now? Hotaru doesn't know what to say and Ranma challenges her, "What are you, the police?"

A police man appears, "No, but I am."

Ranma does the Saotome Final Attack. Setsuna's eyes widen and then she starts laughing as R/H and the policeman run off.

Hotaru's House

Ranma and Hotaru are at her front door, breathing heavily. Hotaru is trying to hide an attack.

Ranma apologizes and Hotaru says its ok, she enjoyed the day. Being with him was always fun. She smiles and Ranma is struck for a moment by how beautiful she looks.

Ranma turns away and thanks Hotaru for hanging out with him and he says he'd better get home now.

Hotaru watches Ranma leave, closes the door and collapses. Kaolinite appears and helps Hotaru up. "Foolish girl, why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

Hotaru says nothing and just enters her room and collapses on her bed.

Genma's Lecture

Genma is lecturing Ranma about the fight. Overall bad, emphasizes Ranma's mistakes and weaknesses. Ranma is quiet and uncharacteristically sullen, thinking about Hotaru. At the end Genma finally says but good job Ranma, I'm proud of you.

Ranma looks up shocked. Genma says he did very well fighting against the monster and had some good ideas. Ranma is shocked but finally grins and says thanks, pops.

Genma turns cold again. "But that doesn't excuse you for your failure. Not get over there, we're going to start training you to catch and counter ranged attacks."

Ranma asks with what? Genma takes out their silverware and the training begins.

Genma and Setsuna's First Talk

Genma and Setsuna are on the roof and talk.

Setsuna says she saw Ranma today. Mentions the final attack.

They talk about making sacrifices/surviving (reason for the Saotome Final Attack).

Then Genma asks what's going on with the monsters? Was it like "last time"?

Setsuna tells him to not worry about it. Ranma won't be a target again.

Genma is angry at Setsuna's vagueness but accepts it with a sigh. "You haven't changed at all."

Setsuna: "I think you haven't either Genma. Deep down inside."

Genma snorts and the two look up at the moon. They think of common memories of a past time.

Chapter 14

Training Outside and Talk with Haruka

Ranma is stretching in the parking lot when Haruka and Michiru appear.

They greet Ranma and comment that he's been training a lot lately, morning and afternoon and it was a wonder he got any studying done.

Ranma shrugs and says he gets some in now and again with Hotaru but his old man's been really pushing him lately.

H/M asks if it's because of that monster.

Ranma snorts and says he doesn't need any training to beat that thing, it just got lucky.

H/M laugh. "Typical Ranma." Ranma: "What does that mean?!"

Haruka then teases Ranma, saying if she had such little time with a beautiful girl like Hotaru, she'd be making love with her as much as possible, so Ranma couldn't possibly still have gotten any studying done right?

Ranma falls back: "Aren't you a girl too?"

Haruka: "Oh? Does that mean you'd rather make love to me?"

Ranma: "Agh! No!"

H/M laugh and then Michiru asks who that handsome young man walking in circles over there was. Ranma remembers Ryoga and goes fetches shim before he gets lost. He explains that he has a horrible sense of direction and that he was training with him today and also fought with the daimon.

Michiru flirts with Ryoga ("Someone as handsome as you…"). Ryoga flushes.

Ranma rolls his eyes and then asks Haruka if she wanted to spar.

Haruka: "I thought you didn't like fighting with girls."

Ranma shrugs: "I'll hold back anyway."

Haruka: "Is that what you say to every girl that just beat him?"

Ranma grumbles: "That was just lucky…" (Haruka had beaten him two days ago)

Haruka: "You know, luck is a skill too Ranma."

Ranma rolls his eyes "Whatever…"

Suddenly a whistle blows and Genma shouts for R/R to take 4 laps FAST around the building and they run off with Ranma taunting Ryoga to not get lost.

Genma talks to Haruka briefly to see if she'd like to train too but she and Michiru are busy and leave. The two leave with a glance at R/R running and jumping over signs.

Michiru: "You're still thinking you're glad it wasn't them who had the talisman right?"

Haruka: "Are you jealous?"

Michiru: "That's my line."

Hotaru and Kaolinite Talk

Hotaru is in the kitchen watching as her cookies bake. She hopes Ranma and the others will like them. She smiles as she remembers him and Usagi inhaling them last time.

Kaolinite appears and begins taunting Hotaru about "that boy." He probably won't even come today. Remember those cookies she backed two days ago? Hotaru flinches and says that doesn't matter. Kaolinite chuckles, "You silly girl."

Hotaru gets angry and whirls around but Kaolinite appears right in front of her and she falls down, surprised.

Kaolinite: "I'm doing this for your own good… you're better off staying away from that boy, or do you want to hurt him too, like those others?"

Hotaru's eyes widen and she turns away. She… she wouldn't… but inside she doesn't feel so sure. She stares at the cookies slowly baking in the oven as Kaolinite leaves. She wouldn't.

Lunch at Shibakouen

Ranma watches Ryoga eat his bread bitterly. He was still so sore from yesterday, but Ryoga seemed fine. Well, at least he got today off. He perks a little at the thought of seeing Hotaru, and maybe eating some of her cookies.

Minako suddenly appears and asks if R/R were free today. Ranma says yes but he didn't really feel like studying. Minako says perfect! Let's go do something fun today!

Takeru and Osamu suddenly appear and say they'd love to go too, right Ranma? They nudge him insistently. Ranma thinks and shrugs. Sure.

Minako smiles and tells them to meet at the Hikawa shrine then, and sits down to eat lunch with them.

Hotaru's House

Ranma is at Hotaru's house to pick her up. Ryoga and Takeru had gone ahead with Minako, but Osamu had decided to come with Ranma.

Osamu/Hotaru are pleased to see each other but Osamu notices that Hotaru seems a little distant. Ranma doesn't seem to notice however.

As lave, Hotaru starts to ask Ranma something and Osamu notices the concern in her eyes, but then she says never mind. Ranma glances at her oddly but doesn't say anything.

Osamu shrugs and they walk off while he asks Hotaru about how she's doing and how the tutoring was going. He thinks Hotaru might be on her period.

Shrine and the Cats

R/H/O arrive at the shrine calling for the others.

They come out, saying it's about time, what took you guys so long? Haven't seen you in days and now you're 10 minutes late?

Ryoga: Ranma you cur! How dare you make us wait for you!

Hotaru apologizes, it was her fault since they came to get her. The others laugh telling her they were just joking.

Osamu looks at Ranma and Ryoga glaring at each other and comments it didn't look like they were joking. Takeru pokes them in the eyes and they jump away. Everybody sweatdrops.

Usagi then speaks up: "I have a friend here who heard you got attacked by a daimon would to meet you Ranma!"

Minako: "Me too!"

Usagi: They've already met Ryoga and really like him.

Ranma is dubious: "Like Ryoga? What kinda person is that?"

Osamu exchanges a look with Takeru. What kind of joke was this? Ryoga looks embarrassed. Whatever it was, it had apparently already been played on him.

Usagi/Minako take out the cats.

Ranma's mind freezes and he the color drains from his face. He starts breathing heavily and starts backing away. "C-c-c…"

Usagi and Minako are oblivious. "Aren't they cute? This is Luna and this is Artemis." They start walking towards him.

Ranma starts stumbling and Hotaru looks at him, worried, and reaches out a hand steady his shoulder. He slaps it away and stumbles backward a few steps though, a panicked look on his face.

Hotaru is shocked, not knowing what to think. "R-Ranma…? What's wrong?" She feels a little not of fear as she sees that look in his face. Usagi and Minako come up beside her and he's staring at them and her.

Hotaru feels her blood turn cold as she looks at him. That look… just like her classmates', but from Ranma… why? What did she do? After a second, she swallows and takes a step towards Ranma. "It's okay Ranma… I'm not…"

Ranma suddenly pushes Hotaru away, screaming "Get away! Get it away from me!"

Hotaru falls back, staring at Ranma shocked and feeling horrible. She's frozen, not knowing what to do. Usagi and Minako yell, "Ranma!" and start come towards him. He screams "CAT!" and runs off.

Everybody is staring in shock and then they see Hotaru, fists clenched, staring at where Ranma had been, frozen in a mixture of shock and horror. The look on her face was so wrenchingly hurt and tragic that it hit all of them in the gut.

Finally Osamu picks Hotaru up on her back saying reassuringly, "Don't worry Hotaru, we're going to find him and figure out what's going on."

Catching up to Ranma

Osamu chases Ranma through dangerous traffic, mobs of people, and into dark alleyways. He was running like he was possessed. He didn't know if the others were still following him, but it didn't matter. As long as he caught up to that idiot and found out what was wrong. The guy looked like he was going to die or something. And more importantly, Hotaru seemed to be in a comatose, half-dead state herself, her body tense as she clung to his back. [Consider writing from Hotaru's POV and have her thoughts tumbling through her as she remembers all the times her classmates had shunned her in the past]

They finally catch up to Ranma, who sitting against a wall, fists clenching and unclenching. Osamu puts Hotaru down and yells, "Ranma, what the hell's wrong with you!"

He had been angry but when Ranma looked up at him and he saw that flash of hurt in his eyes, Osamu began to regret it. Ranma really looked miserable and muttered "Shut up… just go away, just go away…"

Hotaru took a few steps towards Ranma, her hands clenching and unclenching the sides of her skirt and lips quivering.. "Ranma," she says, stopping about 5 feet away from him "I-I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Ranma doesn't even look up. "Just go away… you don't understand… you don't understand…" he half choked himself.

Hotaru fell to her knees, smiling bitterly. She should've known. "You're right Ranma, I don't understand. I don't understand anything, why all of this is happening but I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't know what I did, I'm always hurting people, I'm sorry…" She heard Kaolinite's words ringing bitterly in her head and bit back tears.

Ranma looks up at Hotaru slowly, and Osamu can see some sense returning to Ranma's face. Ryoga suddenly walks up and Osamu realizes that he and Takeru had arrived.

Ryoga: "I don't understand any of this either Ranma, none of us does! But what I do know is that right now Hotaru's hurt and it's because of you!"

Ranma starts to get up, though he was still shaking a little, but then falls back down. "S-Stupid…" he mutters. "It's not you Hotaru, it's not you stupid."

Hotaru looks up a little but her face is still guilt stricken and miserable.

Ryoga: "Then what the hell is it Ranma?!"

Ranma…"I… I don't like cats… okay?! I don't like cats!" he almost shouts the last part and angrily pushes himself up, turning away from them.

Everybody stares at Ranma in confusion. Hotaru blinks and wipes away her tears. "Cats?" She asks, confused. This was about… the cats?

He stomps away angrily. "Forget it!" he snaps. "But it doesn't have anything to do with you, okay? Just… just leave me alone right now…" He glances back at Hotaru for a moment, and she is struck by the deep sadness in those eyes. It wasn't her… that should've made her happy but for some reason, as she looked into those eyes she felt an even deeper rift form between them—one that was pulling Ranma away from her though she desperately wanted to reach out and hold onto him.

"Ranma…" Hotaru says softly, still feeling sick and tired as she pushed herself back to her feet and started to take a step towards him. Ranma mutters that he's going to go home now and hops over a wall, walking off, leaving 4 confused people staring behind at the empty void where he had been.

Chapter 15

Ranma and Minako Conversation [Minako's POV]

It's lunch time at Shibakouen and Ranma and Minako are eating lunch at the tree by themselves. It has been nearly a week since the Cat incident. It had been a big surprise when Ryoga told her and the girls about it, but Ami said phobias like that were pretty common. Usagi and even herself had found it hard to believe that somebody could be afraid of such lovable little cats like Luna and Artemis, but Rei had whacked Usagi when she started whining a little too much. The poor girl just couldn't stand the thought of her friends not getting along like that, even if it was cats and humans.

As for Ranma, well… she supposed he handled the situation well. He was his normal self down to the tee the next day, it was almost as if he forgot the whole thing even happened. He sure acted like it. But still, wasn't it bad to be shutting things up inside like this? Weren't friends supposed to help each other out with things like that? Still… she didn't really know what to do about such a sensitive issue. And Hotaru… poor Hotaru, the girl seemed the same as usual, but that look on her face the other day… could she really have just shrugged it off so easily? What were those two hiding within themselves?

Minako talks to Ranma about relationships and doing something you really like. But for what? For who? [Minako is thinking about volleyball and Asai from episode 100].

Ranma thinks for a bit and quickly says for himself of course.

Minako sighs. She should've expected that from Ranma. She starts to try her usual routine of getting prodding Ranma about Hotaru but decides not too and says she has to go now.

Ranma says okay, see ya later.

Minako twitches. "Aren't you even going to ask me where I'm going?"

Ranma regards her oddly. "Uh… no. Why?"

Minako sighs. "Never mind, just remember, we're going to help plan Usagi's birthday party today okay?"

Ranma groans. "Don't remind me… how did I you ever even talk me into that" Minako whacks Ranma. "Because we're her friends idiot!"

Ranma grumbles and Minako walks off rolling her eyes.

Hotaru's House

Hotaru leaves her house and starts walking with R/R/M. Minako is leading them to the meeting spot. They wonder why she just doesn't tell them where it is decide not to ask.

On the way there, Minako pulls Hotaru to the side and talks to her about Ranma. She asks Hotaru if she's okay, and tells her not to worry too much Ranma. He was just being a stupid boy and stubborn. Like all boys he didn't like to talk about things that scared him. Too proud.

Hotaru just smiles and says she's fine. She didn't expect anything from Ranma. She was just glad that things were okay now. That was fine with her.

Minako frowns. For some reason, that answer didn't feel particularly satisfying to her.

The Mall

They're at a large shopping mall and Ranma/Ryoga are awed. But why are they here to plan the party? Minako says to buy presents of course. The other Senshi appear and they quickly plan the party deciding who will bring what. Hotaru volunteers to bake something. Ranma is very excited at the prospect of all the food tomorrow.

Finally: "Okay! Time to shop!" Makoto latches onto Ryoga and starts to pull him along.

Ranma protests, why do they have to come do this? Rei: "You're going to get Usagi a present too right?" Ranma: "I already pitched in the money." Rei: "Well you still have to help decide what we're getting her!"

Ranma looks at Hotaru and she says she'd also like to go shipping. Ranma sighs and says fine.

Trying on Clothes

Ranma and Ryoga are sitting down by some changing rooms with piles of bags next to them. Ranma didn't understand how these could all be for Usagi. Ryoga just grunts.

Makoto appears out of the changing room in a beautiful low cut dress and asks how she looks, showing off her cleavage to Ryoga who flushes red. Ranma also flushes a little but demands to know what this has to do with getting Usagi a present. Rei appears and says they may as well get something for themselves too and asks how she looks. Ami appears in a swimsuit and everybody is shocked. Makoto and Rei whisper to each other that Ami must be trying really hard to ensnare Ranma and Ryoga.

Then Hotaru appears and the Senshi are impressed by her well-coordinated clothes, though they comment that she really likes dark colors doesn't she. She nods and says she thinks it suits her. They demand that she twirl and she does. She asks Ranma how she looks.

Ranma coughs and looks away, saying she looks nice, they should hurry up and finish shopping already. Hotaru ahs but agrees.

Accidental Theft

The group splits up to look at different stores. Hotaru is alone with Ranma in one clothing store. She smiles as she sees Ranma arguing with some people. Typical Ranma, it was like nothing had happened the other day… She wondered if that really was a good thing… a part of her wanted to know what pained Ranma so much, but the truth was… she was scared to ask. She sighs as she looks at a shirt. She really was weak wasn't she? Not just her body… even without that, she was still just a frail little girl.

Ranma suddenly grabs Hotaru and runs out of the store, seeming to have started an argument with her in tow. As Hotaru is dragged out, she hears the beeping of the door alarm and shouts of thief thief!

After they've escaped. Ranma stops and Hotaru is distraught that she's stolen something. At first Ranma teases her for it but when he realizes she really is bothered by it he says she could just go back and return it. She says "Yeah, but…" she's afraid to go back because of what the owner might say to her.

Ranma reminds her of the time the first met when she made them go back to the store to pay the restaurant. Hotaru is shamed and walks back to the store but once there she just stands outside staring at the entrance.

Finally, Ranma is just picks her up and carries her in himself, despite having to confront the store owner again. Harsh words are exchanged, but Hotaru manages to return the clothes and feels a huge sense of relief afterwards.

"See," Ranma says, as they leave. "It's better just to get things out and over with."

Hotaru nods

Going Home

Group parts ways with Rei telling them to make sure they get to the party tomorrow. Ranma says of course, he already paid for the stupid present, no way he was going to miss out on the food.

Others laugh and Makoto says "fine, I'll take care of Ryoga for you then, you have a romantic walk home with Hotaru!" Ranma yells for her to stop saying stupid things like that and stomps off.

As Hotaru turns to follow Ranma, she sees Minako give her a wink before running after Makoto telling that she'll be the one taking care of Ryoga. Makoto: "I'm the one with the most talent!"

The Walk Home Hotaru

Ranma is on a fence and says "Those guys are really weird."

Hotaru says but she really likes them. Ranma says, yeah, well I like weird people. He says Hotaru's pretty cool too.

Hotaru smiles—that was Ranma's way of complimenting people—but is sad as she thinks about that. She says that doesn't help her at school

Ranma asks didn't they already have this conversation before?

Hotaru laughs and apologizes.

She looks at Ranma walking on the fence and asks him how he was able to do things like that, remember his conversation about Ryoga. She says that she didn't think she could just disregard what other people thought about her so easily. She thinks about the incident at the mall and her classmates. Ranma just shrugs and says it was what was best for him that should come first right? Why should he waste his time worrying so much about what people he didn't know thought about him when it didn't matter and he wanted to do this.

Hotaru smiles and says "You're so cocky Ranma…"

Ranma "Huh? Really?"

Hotaru: "Yeah but that's I really like that about you. I wish I was a little like that…"

Ranma scratches his head but smiles and says thanks I guess.

They walk along in silence for a little more and Hotaru looks up at Ranma. She thinks of the cat incident and what Minako said. She starts to ask, "Ranma?"

He looks down at her curiously. "Yeah?"

She stares at him. Everything seemed so normal, so perfect… she suddenly didn't want to risk any of that and decided it wasn't a big deal. She didn't have to ask. "Never mind" she says and continues walking. Ranma was okay… she was okay… it would be best to just leave things that way…

Chapter 16

At the Shrine for Usagi's Birthday Party

R/R/H arrive and they sit down to wait. Hotaru places food on the table. Usagi will be here any minute now. Senshi describe what they said to Usagi about today not being special just because it was her birthday and how surprised she'll be [see episode 101]. Ranma laughs. Hotaru says they're really good friends.

Someone asks what's in the bag Hotaru bought and she jumps on it, pulling it away. Of course this only makes the others more curious and the wrestle over it until Rei gets it and peeks in. "Hey, this is for-"

Usagi walks in and they all stop and shout surprise!

Rest of scene like the anime episode.

Usagi is sad about slapping Mamoru and talks to Hotaru briefly about how she had to do something about this. Hotaru thinks she wouldn't know what to do if she were in a situation like that. Usagi finally leaves

Later the rest of the Senshi leaves, saying that Artemis and Luna needed them… all of them…

Ranma's Present

Ranma is stuffing his face while Ryoga watches in disgust. The others have been gone for quite a while but Ranma doesn't particularly mind. He says this is a great party in between bites.

Hotaru suddenly gives Ranma his present: a red shirt. Ranma is surprised and actually really likes it. Ryoga comments that it's about time he got some new clothes. Ranma retorts that he wears the same ratty uniform too.

Hotaru asks Ranma to try it on and Ranma starts stripping right there. Hotaru flushes: "Ranma!" and Ryoga whacks Ranma, telling him to be more of a gentleman.

Ranma laughs, apologizing and changes elsewhere

Hotaru's Seizure

Ranma comes out in the new clothes. Ryoga and Hotaru both compliment him. Hotaru teases Ranma, asking him to spin for her. Ranma face faults but Hotaru points out that she did for him. He sighs and is about to when Hotaru suddenly has a massive attack. Oh shit, what the hell is going on now?

Usagi's Heart Crystal

Usagi's amazingly pure heart crystal has just been stolen by Kaolinite. Senshi fight and eventually kill her.

Hotaru's Nightmare

Hotaru has a nightmare about the silence and not being able to reach her friends, particularly Ranma [Maybe steal one from OG SH].

Hotaru wakes up and sees Ranma, Ryoga and Yuuichirou there. They seem very worried. They say she was muttering incoherently and sometimes even screamed. Yuuichirou thought it felt like she had been possessed.

"I heard someone calling in my head… It was like this at school… then my mind seemed to fade… and I can't remember after that…" (Her thoughts).

Hotaru doesn't say anything but feels very scared. All of a sudden she grabs Ranma and Ryoga, clinging to them desperately. She felt like she had almost lost them. She thinks back to all the other times she had woken up from an attack, seeing the scared faces of her classmates and…

Ranma and Ryoga comfort her, telling her it was just a dream, just a dream.

Yuuichirou alone notices that the ward he used on Hotaru had been burnt to a crisp.

Chapter 17

Hotaru's Room

The windows are thrown wide open and Hotaru is staring outside. She thinks about the past few days. There had been a lot of study sessions at the shrine because the Senshi were not so busy. She had enjoyed them. For some reason, being alone the past few days had been more frightening than usual. She was even missing Kaolinite—the woman had gone on vacation apparently. That nightmare had been really bad. She shivers and feels cold, wishing Ranma was with her.

She looks over and smiles. He had been with her so often lately she'd almost gotten used to it. His presence actually made her like school days more even though she had to see her classmates. Ranma was always training on the weekends.

Ranma looks up at him and says, "You know, I thought you said you liked dark places or something… but it's been really bright in here lately."

Hotaru smiles and says, "I do, but I've guess you changed my tastes a little Ranma." You've brought light into my life, she thinks. He just raises an eyebrow at her.

Hotaru: "So how's the homework coming along?"

Ranma grins: "Almost done!" He brags about how Ryoga was going to regret skipping today to out with Minako.

Hotaru smiles. Ranma made things so competitive. She missed Ryoga and Minako too but she was glad to be alone with Ranma today nonetheless. "You know, Ryoga did score higher than you on that last test." Hotaru teases.

Ranma, defensive, says he's been training, had a crazy father after all.

Hotaru is silent and turns away, thinking about her father.

Ranma blinks. That was… a little rude? [hah!] "Hotaru?"

Hotaru apologizes. "Oh, I'm sorry Ranma." She had been thinking about her father. She asks if Ranma had heard about Tokyo Tower closing down for repairs. Ranma says yeah, apparently the Senshi had needed his help that day. Hotaru laughs but says she used to go there with her father, but it's been so long…

Ranma doesn't really know what to say.

Hotaru gets on the bed with Ranma and asks him to tell her about him and Genma. Ranma is hesitant, but Hotaru begs and he begins telling random stories. Hotaru gets into it and so does Ranma and soon their both laughing over Genma's crazy adventures.

Genma

Back at the apartment Genma sneezes. Where was Ranma? He was supposed to be back home for training by now.

Hotaru's Room

Hotaru is falling asleep but trying to stay awake. Ranma tells her to just go ahead and sleep but she shakes her head. She says she wants to hear more about him and Genma. Mutters it must be nice to be able to sleep with your father so nearby. She didn't even know where hers now. She hated being alone so much… she was glad Ranma was here though… thank you Ranma… falls asleep.

Ranma stares down at Hotaru and then tucks her in. She felt so small and fragile in his arms… it made him feel all uneasy inside to see her so sad. He brushes a strand of hair out of her face and sighs. Hotaru… he just didn't know what he could do for her. He turns to leave. Time to go home. He was so late for training… But hopefully the old man was asleep by now…

Midnight Training

Ranma sneaks into the apartment, closing the door gently behind him. His eyes were still adjusting to the light but so far so good. The old man must be asleep.

Suddenly Ranma springs a trap and knives fly at him and he barely rolls out of the way in time. Something large drops and nearly clobbers him. "Shit! What the hell! This is you isn't it old man?! You crazy fool!"

Genma appears in front of the window, silhouetted against the moonlight and lectures Ranma for missing training. Now he must be punished with night combat training!

Ranma says he has school tomorrow! And he knows Genma has work or whatever too. He thinks Hotaru didn't know about this part of his father.

Genma says he can handle it, the question was could Ranma

Ranma gets angry: "That's besides the point old man!"

Genma says quiet! This was night training! No talking!

Ranma fights and gets knocked out a few hours later.

Ranma Wakes Up

Ranma wakes up feeling a little sore and smelling food. The last thing he remembered was Genma popping out of the shadows and nailing him one. He notices he's in his bed with his blanket over him. What? He stumbles into the kitchen and sees breakfast waiting for him. Where was Genma? What about morning training? Then he sees the clock and that it was almost time to leave. He smiles, shaking his head. Sometimes that old man could actually pull off being a father. Sometimes. He eats his breakfast with gusto. It didn't even taste half bad.

Lunch at Shibakouen

Ranma is lounging around by his tree with his classmates and Ryoga when Minako comes up.

Etsuya asks her how here date with Ryoga was. She is surprised that Ryoga hadn't said anything yet. Everybody looks at Ryoga who is rubbing his head and glaring at Ranma as he eats his bread.

Minako rolls her eyes and says "The date was wonderful! Right Ryoga?"

Ryoga looks to Minako and smiles, saying "of course!"

Minako adds, if only Makoto hadn't gotten in the way it'd have been perfect.

Takeru and Osamu tease Ryoga: "Two girls Ryoga? You sly pig!"

Everybody laughs and then Minako invites them all to the Juuban Festival in a few days.

Hotaru's Invite

Hotaru: "Juuban Matsuri?" Ranma says yeah, apparently Rei was part of it somehow and Minako wanted them to come. Hotaru has flashbacks of going there with her father and mother and says of course she wanted to come with them.

Ranma smiles, seeing how excited Hotaru is and says at least they wouldn't have to study. Hotaru laughs. "Ranma! You need to study!"

Ranma throws his book bag at Ryoga.

Ryoga: "Ranma… what the hell did you do that for?!"

Ranma say she predicted Ryoga was going to say something stupid so he attacked him "preemptively". Glances at Hotaru to see if he used the word right. She nods.

Ryoga: "Die Ranma!" Ranma laughs and grabs scoops up Hotaru, saying let's get to the shrine.

They run for a while and Hotaru says "Ranma…? Thank you for staying with me last night." Ranma grins at her: Sure, just don't make a habit of it okay? I need my sleep too.

Hotaru didn't know whether he was being sarcastic or not, but the warmth in his voice was good enough for her.

Chapter 18[See episode 103]

Meeting at the Shrine for the Festival

Ranma is with Ryoga, Etsuya and the Senshi at the shrine. Ranma is adjusting the Kimono he's wearing and asks once again why he had to wear this. The Senshi shout back that he has to help maintain the spirit of Japan and Ami gives a brief history lesson about the history of the Kimono in Japanese culture. Ranma sighs.

Ryoga tells him to stop whining so much, he was wearing one after all. Ranma says didn't he get hustled into it? Ryoga points out that they had to jump him to put him in one.

Suddenly Hotaru appears and everybody greets her, complimenting her on the nice Kimono she's wearing. They all say to Ranma, "See, Hotaru's wearing one too!"

Hotaru thanks them and says hi Ranma.

Everybody looks at Ranma when he doesn't respond and he realizes he's staring. He quickly apologizes, embarrassed, and says Hotaru' looks nice.

Everybody teases Ranma and then they head off.

At the Festival Arm Wrestling

Hotaru watches as Ranma is kicked out of a ball throwing game after winning too many times. He had been so good at it that people had started asking him to play for him and the owner was losing money. She shifts the giant teddy bear he had won her and smiles. It was the first present he had ever given her.

They run into Takeru who is with a beautiful girl. They talk for a bit and Takeru asks Ranma if he's on a date with Hotaru, which they both deny. Takeru's date says that's rather odd considering the giant bear Hotaru had and then wonders why Takeru hadn't won anything yet.

Ranma asks where the others are and Takeru leads them to a little booth where Etsuya is calling people over to arm-wrestle with Osamu.

Etsuya tells Ranma that they really needed Ryoga over here, most people were too scared to arm-wrestle with Osamu. Hotaru says that's probably because he looked so strong.

Osamu thanks Hotaru and asks if she would like to arm wrestle with him? She doesn't but is talked into it and allowed to use both hands and Etsuya whispers something to Hotaru and starts to announce the game, drawing a small crowd. He turns to Hotaru and Osamu and then says okay, ready?

Hotaru slams Osamu's hand to the table before he's ready. Everybody laughs and cheers. Ranma asks Hotaru what did she win? Osamu stands up and says a hug! Hotaru laughs and hugs Osamu. Etsuya gets one too. Takeru is about to join in but his date whacks him. Ranma rolls his eyes and says geez, he was hoping to get something back for the giant teddy bear he won.

Osamu asks him if he's jealous and before he can say anything, Hotaru hugs him and says there, she passed it on to Ranma now (romantic moment TM).

Ranma sweat drops as Osamu starts babbling about how he just hugged Ranma indirectly.

Senshi's Booth

Hotaru thanks Ryoga as he takes her teddy bear and stores it in the Senshi's booth he's working at.

She looks over and sees Ranma talking to Minako: "Man, when are you guys getting off? Do you like taking money from little kids or something?" Minako gives an evil smirk as a group of kids she dislikes lose the goldfish game. "Business business Ranma… besides Rei needs us here.

Ranma looks over at Ryoga "What about you Ryoga? You've been here for over 2 hours!"

Ryoga: "A true man helps when he's needed… look even Mitsuo's here."

Ranma looks at Mitsuo who's sleeping. "He's not even awake!"

Makoto butts in and chides Ranma for making trouble. Ranma "apologizes" and says he'll get some goldfish then. He looks at Hotaru and asks "Hey, do we need any goldfish?"

Hotaru looks at the goldfish and thinks about her pet goldfish she had accidentally killed and feels a little sad.

Haruka/Michiru suddenly cut in. "We? It sounds like you two are already married. I'm a little jealous Ranma."

Ranma says yeah right, whatever and says hey to the two. H/M tease the two and then catch some fish.

Hotaru watches the goldfish swimming in the tank. There were so many of them, she thinks. And they looked fine. She looks up at everybody laughing as Ranma's fish net paddle break and smiles. Everybody seemed so happy. A part of her felt a little left out but she was glad she was here with them.

Pie Fight

Etsuya is leading Ranma and Hotaru somewhere for a surprise. Ranma is getting a little impatient as they seem to be going to secluded place and he wonders what the surprise is supposed to be.

They go behind a tent and Ranma blinks as he sees Osamu, Mitsuo, Takeru, his date, Ami and several of the boys from his class standing around a large table full of… pies?

Ranma is about to ask what was going on when he suddenly spins around and grabs something out of the air. What the, a pie?

Somebody jumps at him from behind, he grabs her, shoves the pie into her face and throws here to the ground towards the table, grabbing… another pie out of her hands. What the heck?

Suddenly, somebody charges him from the side, he blocks with one hand, which is hit with a pie, but the strength of the hit sends him stumbling and then all of a sudden a pie slams into his face as someone jumps on his shoulders from behind and then leaps away yelling "gotcha!"

Ranma wipes the pie away from his face and screams "What the hell is going on?"

Ryoga: "Ranma! For the suffering you have shown me… I will pie you!"

Ryoga, Minako and Makoto are standing in front of the table with the others now.

Ranma twitches. "You gotta be kidding me. Takeru and Hotaru are standing in the shadows by the tent laughing.

Makoto: "Agh! I can't believe you got me Ranma! You're going to pay for that!"

Minako giggles and sticks her tongue out at Ranma. "Gotcha Ranma! Did that taste good? I think it kind of looks good on you but then Usagi's a pretty bad baker. You know what they say, don't judge a pie by its-"

A pie slams into Minako faces and Ranma snickers as he wipes the pie off his face. "We'll call that even Minako"

Minako is on the ground with the pie on her face and in shock. "He… got me so easily…" Suddenly she bursts up flaming. "Die Ranma!" And starts throwing pie after pie at Ranma who dodges, shouting "H-Hey! Calm down!"

Suddenly, Minako is pied in the back of her head by Ami. Everybody is shocked. Ami smiles and shrugs: "I thought this a pie fight, not pick on Ranma day. Everyone for themselves!"

Makoto laughs, saying that's right and pies Ami. Osamu picks up a ton of pies with his huge hands and shouts out "Pie Kamikaze!" attacking everyone nearby. The fight was on.

Hotaru is watching from the sidelines with Etsuya, dodging an occasional stray pie. She comments that everyone seems to be having so much fun. Etsuya asks Hotaru if she'd like to join in but she shakes her head, saying it was okay, she couldn't do that. Besides, she was so weak she'd never get Ranma.

Etsuya scratches his chin and then smiles. He says he has an idea and whispers something to Hotaru.

Hotaru's Trap

Etsuya stands a little behind Ranma with a pie and shouts "Hey Ranma!"

Ranma spins around and ducks as Etsuya throws a pie at him. "Hah! I'm not stupid enough to fall for that!

Etsuya jumps back and says "You still didn't get me!"

Two pies fly towards Etsuya who ducks. The pies slam into Hotaru's face and she falls down on her butt, seeming to be frozen in shock. Everybody else stops and stares at Ranma in shock.

Ranma is fidgeting. "Uh… it's not my fault!"

Etsuya: "Ranma you idiot! What've you done! Go apologize to her now!" Ranma goes up to Hotaru, saying stuff like she shouldn't have been standing so nearby and stuff like that and he was… uh… sorry…

He takes the pie off her face and she gently lays a hand on one of his. He says he was sorry alright, so don't be all mad, anyway what was she doing standing behind Etsuya like that? He trails off as he wipes off a large chunk of pie and sees her smirking at him. She tightens her grip on his wrist, pulls him in a little and slams a pie into his face.

Everybody cheers as Hotaru pushes Ranma onto his back and rubs the pie all over his face. They encourage her and tell her to use the pie next to her. She grabs another one and pushes it into the side of his face, giggling and feeling light hearted.

She laughs beautifully as Ranma finally recovers from his shock and rolls over, ping her down. "Gah! I can't believe you got me!" Hotaru sticks her tongue out at him, and then squeezes her eyes shut, turning her face to a side, laughing and squirming as Ranma pressed a half squashed pie against her cheek.

Around her she could hear the others laughing and she thought she couldn't remember the last time she heard so much laughter in one place. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy and at ease.

Feeling like a little girl all over again, she pulls Ranma down and started to rub her cake covered face over his. He jumped back in shock and she lunged forward, pinning him down, and pressing against his body, rubbing her face over his neck and cheeks. "Ranma…" she thought, feeling his body warming hers. "I'm really glad I met you…"

The Aftermath

The pie fight has ended and everybody is collapsed on the ground, tired but content. Ranma: "I can't believe you guys did this…"

Minako: "What're you complaining about? I saw you and Hotaru getting all close… like this!" She snuggles up against Ryoga and rubs against him. Ranma twitches and Ryoga exclaims "Minako!"

"Oh Ranma…" Minako says… "Kiss me Takeru…"

Everybody stops and blinks. They look over at Takeru and his date who are embracing and kissing on the ground.

Osamu and Makoto tackle Takeru. "Don't do that in front of us!"

Ranma shakes his head and rolls his eyes. These guys…

Suddenly, a wet towel brushes against his face. It's Hotaru. Her eyes are on her hands as she wipes his face. She's clean and smiling and there's just something very… content about her. She seems like she feels as if everything is perfect. Ranma starts to push Hotaru away, feeling a little weird.

Hotaru: "You have a lot of pie on you Ranma…"

Ranma: "You're the one who put most of it on…"

Hotaru: "So let me clean it off for you." Hotaru replies, catching his eyes for a moment and winking at him.

Ranma stares. That was so… unlike Hotaru. Her behavior today… and yet at the same time it felt like that was really her. The real her. Speaking to him so firmly, so playfully. And as he thought about it more, thought about her confidence in tutoring him, her smile and laughter the few times she gave them freely, he thought… that really was her wasn't it? Those few times when she let her guard down.

Ranma: "Hotaru?"

She looks at him: "Hmm?"

Ranma shakes his head: "Never mind, nothing."

She finishes and sits back, looking at him for a second. "There, she says. Handsome again, though you did look nice covered in pie too." She sticks her tongue out at him playfully.

Ranma chuckles. Coming from Hotaru… the comment sounded almost cute.

They turn and look at the others. Makoto and Osamu were still talking to Takeru and his date. Minako is prodding an unconscious Ryoga and Etsuya is sitting by Ami.

Ami mentions that Usagi's been gone for a while now, didn't she go to get Rei?

Minako looks up and blinks thinking "Oh yeah… oops, she'll be mad that we used up all the pies already wont she? Oh well, it's her fault for not being here!"

Hotaru asks about Rei and the drum girl (Miss Tono). She then volunteers to go check on Usagi and Ranma says he'll go too.

Walking Together

Ranma and Hotaru are walking by themselves. Hotaru suddenly takes Ranma's arm in hers. Ranma fidgets, embarrassed. "Hotaru?"

Hotaru asks isn't a man supposed to walk with a woman like this? Ranma doesn't know. Hotaru says that when she was little she saw her mother walk with her father like this and wanted to as well, but had been too small. He told her that when she got bigger she would be able to walk with somebody she liked like this.

Ranma looks at Hotaru curiously at that comment but Hotaru doesn't seem to notice. She seems lost in her thoughts.

After a bit Ranma feels very uncomfortable having Hotaru so close and disengages and says he wants to walk alone a bit.

Hotaru seems disappointed but nods and they walk. After a bit Hotaru says "Ranma?" Ranma is trying hard to not look at her at all. "Yeah?"

Hotaru: "I'm glad I met you."

Ranma pauses and looks at her. He had been about to say something stupid but as he sees the sincere expression on her face, his breathe catches and it hits him a little. He realizes after a moment that nobody had ever said something so simple and kind to him before. It's touching. He smiles back at her and is about to say something but then his brows suddenly furrow and he spins around, crouching down.

Hotaru: "Ranma?" Ranma: "Shh… do you hear that?" Hotaru strains her ears and gradually makes out the sounds of fighting.

Chapter 19

The 2nd Daimon Fight

Daimon Soiya is attacking Sailor Mars and Moon and the Outers have just appeared.

Eudial: "Don't touch my crystal!" The Outers are about to take it when Ranma jumps in and grabs it first. "I don't know what you guys want with this but I remember I didn't like it when you took mine."

Ranma looks at the outers who are staring at him in surprise. They must be the ones Ryoga told him about. Haruka has a hand up, as if she were prepared to do her World Shaking attack but stopped. Michiru: "What are we going to do?" Haruka grits her teeth: "Our duty." She dashes forward to attack Ranma.

Ranma's eyes widen as the Senshi attacks him. She was incredibly fast. They fight. She was strong as well. Ranma curses. He had trained so hard but this girl was far better than that daimon he had fought… and maybe even better than him! There was something very familiar about her too.

Eudial curses at this complication and tells Soiya to stop playing with Sailor Moon and Mars and get her Crystal Heart back. Soiya traps Moon and Mars in drums and attacks Ranma/Uranus with fireworks which they dodge.

Ranma smiles after they jump away. "You're closer to it" Haruka flinches as she glances at the daimon coming towards her and Ranma eyeing Tono. She yells "Neptune!" as she handles the daimon and Ranma runs towards Tono.

Neptune starts her deep submerge and Ranma tenses as he sees it.

Suddenly Hotaru shoulder rams Neptune and pushes her attack off course, which nearly blasts Moon and Mars.

Ranma: Hotaru!

Eudial thinks Hotaru looks very familiar and wonders where she heard her name before.

Neptune is staring angrily at Hotaru, who is on her knees, clutching her chest and breathing heavily. What a reckless move, Neptune thinks. If she were the enemy, Hotaru would be dead now.

Suddenly, Soiya is thrown into Ranma's back and Uranus catches the Heart Crystal. "You shouldn't lose your focus in a battle!"

Haruka looks into the crystal. No Talisman. She returns the crystal.

Eudial snaps out of her thoughts and is angry. She tells Soiya to take care of things and turns to leave when she suddenly feels a rise of dark energy. What was this? From the girl?

Hotaru is on her knees, breathing heavily. Soiya looks at her and starts running towards her. Eudial suddenly recognizes Hotaru as she reverts to her dark form. Eudial: "Messiah! Soiya! Stop!" She blasts Soiya decomposing her.

Outers stare at Eudial in shock. Ranma just dashes towards Hotaru.

Eudial curses and jumps in her car to escape.

Post-Fight

Hotaru wakes up to see Ranma, Rei and Usagi staring down at her worried.

Ranma chastises her for running out into the fight like that. Hotaru takes a few moments before she remembers and says she was just really worried about Ranma, she tries to get up and flinches in pain.

Ranma and company are really worried and Ranma scolds Hotaru for trying to get involved in such a state. She knew her condition so she shouldn't be doing something so dangerous! Worried about him? That was the stupidest thing he ever heard!

Hotaru looks down thinking about everything. Then she apologizes and says she really was useless wasn't she?

Usagi says no, you were really brave and saved Ranma, right?

Ranma: "Huh? What are you talking about? I was doing fine, I didn't anybody to save me! She was just being stupid and getting in the way!" Rei smacks Ranma. "Ranma! Stop being such a jerk!"

Hotaru just stares down sadly.

Chibi-Usa

Chibi-Usa is watching and decides she should make her appearance later.

Outers Watching

Outers watch from the shadows. They discuss how surprised they were to run into Ranma and Hotaru. They're glad it ended ok, but… there was something strange going on with Hotaru. Why did the enemy stop their attack?

End of the Festival

Hotaru is sitting by herself watching Tono play the drums. She finishes and Hotaru watches as her friends cheer and applaud the wonderful performance. Among the group was a new girl, Chibi-Usa, whom Usagi had introduced as her cousin. Hotaru saw Ranma and sighed. She was so weak and useless… she couldn't help him at all, not even with his cat thing. Ranma… didn't need someone like her.

Chibi-Usa appears and befriends/Cheers Hotaru up. She tells her she heard Hotaru was really brave in that fight. Don't worry about Ranma. Boys were like that sometimes. It was probably because he really liked her. Hotaru says no, he didn't. Chibi-Usa says she thought they were going out and slyly asks how far they've gone. Hotaru flushes.

Suddenly Ranma appears and shoves Chibi-Usa's head down. "Hey Hotaru, is this little twerp bothering you?" Chibi-Usa tries to punch Ranma but can't. "Hotaru was just telling me how she saved your life today when you were getting your butt kicked" she kicks at Ranma to accentuate her point. He hops over her and pushes her back so she rolls away into the crowd. He sits down next to Hotaru.

Hotaru quickly says "I wasn't telling her anything like that."

Ranma says good. And for some reason, though she expected that answer, Hotaru winces.

After a while Ranma says "Look Hotaru, what you did was really brave and all alright… but it was stupid. Don't put yourself in a dangerous situation like that!"

She looks at Ranma and opens her mouth. "Ranma, I just…"

Ranma cuts her off, looking at her dead seriously "I can take care of myself okay? I don't need anyone helping me out."

Hotaru is quiet for a moment but then slowly nods "I understand Ranma."

Ranma smiles. "Good."

Suddenly, everybody else appears and starts teasing Ranma about how Hotaru had saved him. She feels really sad but to her surprise instead of disparaging her he turns on the others and says Hotaru had been helpful, where the heck were they huh? Chibi-Usa jumped on his neck and was covering his eyes yelling something.

As Hotaru watches, she suddenly sees him from that day with the cat incident, turning away and shutting everybody else, walking alone. It made her feel a little sad, but Ranma was right. They had both dealt with their own problems by themselves all their lives. Maybe it was better that way.

Chapter 20[See episode 105]

Hotaru's Invitation

Scene opens with Hotaru reaching for her phone. Kaolinite (who had finally returned from her "vacation"/death) had told her she had a call.

The phone feels cold and strange in her hand. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had used the phone. She didn't know if she should feel happy, anxious or what, all she felt right now was an overwhelming curiosity. Hotaru: "Hello?"

Minako answers and asks if Ranma had told her about "it" yet. Hotaru says she hasn't seen Ranma in two days. Minako said she figured and had gotten Hotaru's number from Ranma in case. Hotaru does indeed remember exchanging numbers with him and Ryoga once but they had never called her, always coming to see her in person for everything which was fine by her.

Minako invites Hotaru to come with them to visit Makoto, who's on her training trip.

Hotaru is at first confused, having always seen the Senshi as more Ranma and Ryoga's friends than hers. She is happy and excited that she's invited however.

Minako also reminds Hotaru of the incident between Makoto and Ranma and Ryoga several days ago, which is why those two weren't going. Makoto had wanted Ranma to spar with her but he had not attacked her and put his foot in his mouth when she pointed out that he sparred with Haruka a lot. Ryoga had tried to soothe her by saying she didn't need to train but she took it the wrong way and became pissed at both of them.

Hotaru accepts the invitation.

Train Station

The train starts to pulls away and Hotaru waves bye to Ranma and Ryoga. Ranma runs after the train a bit giving her last minute weird advice (put out the fire completely, if you have to fight a bear, hit the nose)

Hotaru sits back in and thinks about Ranma. When she had told him she planned to go on the trip he had seemed unexpectedly startled and concerned. It was… nice actually, having someone be so concerned for her, and particularly having it be Ranma. For someone like her, who had spent most of her life alone and being ignored, it was something completely different.

The Senshi giggle and say they're only going for a bit and will be staying at the temple anyway.

They tease Hotaru about how worried and lonely Ranma will be and ask if they are a couple yet.

Hotaru denies both (she really believes both too).

They have girl talk about relationships and give advice to each other/Hotaru. Hotaru gradually loosens up and becomes comfortable. She's really happy to have… friends? It still felt strange to use that word.

They talk about this being Hotaru's first journey away from home without her parents and isn't she curious what's out there? Hotaru is very curious and thinks wistfully of seeing what's out there… but her health…

Usagi asks Hotaru conspiratorially if it's true she can heal herself. Hotaru is shocked that she knows and afraid of being shunned but obviously isn't. Usagi wonders if Hotaru can heal herself. (Dramatic deeper meaning moment TM). Hotaru says she hasn't tried it and Usagi says she thinks even if she could, it'd be better if she let other people help her instead.

Chibi-Usa reference (Usagi: skill as a future mother!)

Cats might accidentally come out and talk.

Arrival

Usagi does her attempt to go to the hotel to see Mamoru

Luna can't spill the plan but Hotaru asks if that's the hotel where Mamoru works, ruining the plan.

Arriving at the Temple

They march up the steps that are 52x longer than the Hikawa shrine's.

Hotaru is talking with Usagi about Mamoru and what it's like to have a boyfriend. Strangely, she doesn't feel all that tired.

At the top they see Makoto/Kakusui and comment that maybe that's her boyfriend. Makoto denies it.

Bedtime

At night they have a pillow fight, like in the anime.

More girl talk about boys

Hotaru is amazed that they talk about boys so much.

Bu they also talk about why Makoto wants to train so much, which naturally follows to Ranma. Hotaru thinks about Ranma's own obsession with following his lonely path.

Morning Talk with Makoto

In the morning, Makoto goes outside and sees Hotaru sitting with Artemis.

They talk about Makoto wanting to solve things alone.

Hotaru asks why. Says she, Ranma and Makoto all do things alone, buy why? Hotaru doesn't like it, and when she woke up this morning she was just happy to be with everybody.

Makoto sees Hotaru's loneliness and tries to comfort her. Considers her words.

Hotaru apologizes and says she'll go make breakfast now.

Optional: Have Hotaru mention the Mugen Gauken camp for new students nearby. She's never gone there however. Can shift conversation to why she hasn't.

Breakfast

Breakfast is surprisingly decent for rice and vegetables because Hotaru helped make it.

Usagi still declares that she wants to go to the hotel and snickers at Luna because she can't say anything in front of Hotaru.

Everybody has brought a swimsuit and Hotaru admits she brought one too because Minako told her to.

Usagi eats the rest of the food and says it's delicious.

Poolside at the Hotel

Hotaru is sitting at the side of the pool with her feet in the water. She is really enjoying the atmosphere and is happy. [Focus on the bright, sunny ambience]

She looks over at the others who are talking to Haruka and Michiru. Haruka catches her eyes and stares at her for a second before smiling and waving. Hotaru smiles and waves back.

Suddenly, a couple of boys come up and start flirting with Hotaru.

Hotaru doesn't know what to do because people don't usually talk to her. She tries her best to be friendly however. They ask her to go get a drink with her and she doesn't know what to say.

Suddenly Usagi runs up and knocks them into the pool. She declares that she was protecting Ranma's territory and that they'd better go before he finds out and kicks their asses.

Rei goes up and asks Usagi if she weren't just jealous that Hotaru had some boys while she couldn't be with Mamoru. Usagi retorts that Rei was just jealous because those other boys had passed her over. Rei replies that they had passed over 50 times more. Usagi makes fun of Rei's figure. Rei points out its Usagi who eats all the time.

The two suddenly turn to the two boys in the water and demand to know who was prettier. The two decide it's best not to answer and start backing away to the other side of the pool but before waving and smiling to Hotaru who waves and smiles back softly.

Usagi cries out at Rei for teasing her and scaring away the boys and chases after her but is tripped into the pool. Rei snickers and Hotaru stares, a little worried as Usagi slowly surfaces, eyes only. Then her head comes all the way up and she is grinning evilly

Minako: "Sailor V kamikaze attack!" She grabs Rei/ Hotaru and jumps in the water. Usagi laughs and thanks Minako for serving her princess well.

Rei splashes water at Minako. Usagi splashes at Rei who ducks, the water hitting Minako. Hotaru can't help but giggle along with Rei as Usagi apologizes.

Minako grins weirdly as the water drips down her face. "You have all betrayed me, now you must face… Sailor V Water Blaster Attack!" The three laugh at Minako's fast splashing and back away. Usagi grabs Hotaru and Rei's hands and says "We must stand strong!" Then all jump on Minako as she approaches. Usagi and Rei hold her arms and shout at Hotaru to splash Minako.

Minako sticks her tongue out at Hotaru. "C'mon Hotaru, I dare you!"

Hotaru obliges. (Fun moment TM).

After the splashes end everybody decides to break for a moment. Usagi then wonders where Ami is. Hotaru points her out swimming laps

Rei says Ami really enjoys swimming. Usagi declares that the pool is not for swimming. Rei facefaults. "What is it for then?"

Usagi: "For having fun with your friends!" Minako nods along. "We have to get her, let's go. Hotaru, you go left, I'll go right."

Rei rolls her eyes but smiles. Usagi and Minako head towards Ami snickering. Rei takes Hotaru's hands and pulls her along.

Hotaru feels as if she's being pulled into something warm and nice. She realizes it's just not being alone.

Haruka and Michiru

Haruka and Michiru watch the Senshi playing. They had practically taken possession of the pool, scaring away everybody else.

Haruka: "They're such kids."

Michiru: "But they're really having fun. It's refreshing to see."

Haruka: "Maybe you want to race that girl again?"

Michiru: (suggestively) "Maybe I want more."

Haruka rolls her eyes. "Hmph."

Michiru smiles and watches the girls again. "That girl, Hotaru… do you still think she's related to the enemy?"

Haruka: "I don't know but… at the least she may have a pure heart and a talisman."

Michiru: "So Ranma's girlfriend automatically has a pure heart hrm? You must really like that boy.

Haruka rolls her eyes. "Are you jealous?" Michiru laughs. "That's my line."

Pool Aftermath

Hotaru is leaning against the side of the pool. They had gotten tired and called a ceasefire. Hotaru thinks about how fun it was and how great it was to not be alone. She flashes back to the morning and thinks Makoto should be here. She decides to go talk to her (Decisive moment TM). Tells the Senshi she's going to see Makoto. There's something she had to talk to her about.

Daimon Attack

Makoto is talking to Kakusui (see episode 105) when Eudial attacks. Kakusui jumps in front of Makoto but then Hotaru suddenly appears tackling them down. She gets to her knees grimacing. "Always thinking of yourselves, why don't any of you ever duck?!"

Makoto stares at Hotaru in shock. "Hotaru…"

Hotaru turns and sees Eudial who is staring at her in shock also. Thinks she looks familiar. Eudial curses and starts to fire her gun again. Hotaru throws a handful of dirt at her and grabs Makoto. "Let's go!" The 4 of them run towards the shrine, glancing back only once to see Eudial's daimon appear.

Eudial

Eudial curses. What was the Professor's daughter doing here? This was going to be dangerous but she had given the daimon explicit instructions not to harm the girl. Eudial sighed. This job was so difficult. But at least the Sailor Senshi weren't here.

Morals and Planning

Hotaru felt the tight squeezing feeling in her chest pass and somehow knew it was safe now… for the time being. She says so to Makoto who is looking out the sliding door worriedly. Kakusui drops down from the ceiling and says it's true. The monster had passed on to the other side of the temple. Hotaru sighs in relief. "Thank goodness."

Kakusui says she was a really brave girl for doing what she did and she was right, the thought of ducking, which now seemed obvious, hadn't crossed his mind. Hotaru smiles and says it's okay, she had just reacted without thinking too. She glances at Makoto and says Ranma must be rubbing off on her. Kakusui laughs and says "It seems we can all learn something from each other, eh Makoto?"

Makoto just stares at them. How could they be so calm? They were being hunted by a daimon and there was nothing they could do about it. At least not like this, with them here. She couldn't transform with them here and she didn't even have her communicator with her. She shakes her head and tells Kakusui to escape with Hotaru while she held the demon off. Kakusui is incredulous. Did she hear anything they just said? Makoto says the daimon was probably after him and that she had been a target once too.

Kakusui says she couldn't face it alone. Makoto clenches her teeth. Argh! How could she explain this?

Hotaru suddenly takes Makoto's hands and heals a scrape on it. Makoto stares at Hotaru and glances at Kakusui who raises an eyebrow. How could Hotaru reveal her secret like that so casually?

Hotaru looks up at Makoto and guesses what she's thinking. "We can't hide by ourselves forever Makoto. That's what I wanted to come tell you. Even Ranma, who's so strong, even he needs help sometimes, though he doesn't like to admit it. Me to tutor him, Ryoga to fight with… trust me Makoto. I've been alone my whole life but these past few months with all of you I've realized that being with others makes you so much stronger and happier. She feels her heartbeat which is only slightly accelerated. "I think that's why even though I'm scared I'm okay right now. Because I'm with you."

Makoto stares uncertainly as Hotaru finishes healing her and pulls away.

She looks at Kakusui who says "No one can live alone Makoto, this girl is right."

Makoto finally sighs and vies in. "Alright, so what are we going to do now?"

Kakusui says he hadn't thought of that yet and laughs. He says he saw that woman waiting outside though so they wouldn't be able sneak away easily. Meanwhile, the Daimon was blocking their escape through the back.

Hotaru looks around and says she has a plan.

The Plan

The daimon sees Kakusui and chases him. Makoto jumps down from the ceiling (Hotaru had remembered Ranma telling her to combine high and low attacks) with a sack she pulls over the daimon. Hotaru jumps out from the side and slams a frying pan onto the daimon's head, which dents. Kakusui flying sidekicks the daimon to the ground. The daimon lies still as the three approach. Suddenly it starts tearing apart the bag. The three bash it repeatedly but it bursts free and struggles up. Hotaru yells "Plan B!"

The three run down the hall and split up. Kakusui stays in the hall and the daimon follows it. Kakusui enters a large room and jumps up to the ceiling. The daimon looks up and Hotaru yells "now!" Hotaru/Makoto pull a rope and trip the daimon, which falls on a large mat that starts sliding forward. The ground had been greased with cooking oil. Kakusui drops on top of the daimon, pinning it down as Makoto and Hotaru pull/push them from the sides. Just as they are about to reach the exit Kakusui jumps off. The Daimon/Mat flies out the door and into the air, over some steps and crashes into a large boulder, cracking it before collapsing to the ground knocked out.

Hotaru collapses to her knees, her chest tight and breathing heavily.

Makoto: "We did it Hotaru! Your plan worked!" Hotaru manages a smile and struggles to her feet.

Makoto: "C'mon Kakusui, let's get out of here!" Kakusui doesn't respond. He's had his crystal heart taken out by the daimon while on the mat. Hotaru realizes it's in her hand!

Hotaru says it's okay, she'll just return it to him. But as she starts to walk towards him, she has a Mistress 9 moment and hungers for it. She starts to lift it towards her mouth.

Makoto looks at Hotaru worriedly. Hotaru forces herself back to normal and the heart floats out of her hand. "Sorry Makoto… could you return it for me.?

Makoto smiles. "Sure thing Hotaru."

Suddenly the others appear and grab the heart, says it's not a talisman and return it to Makoto.

Eudial is watching, curses and orders the Daimon to finish off the Senshi. Find out it has already been killed by the Outers. Curses and leaves. Makoto returns the crystal heart to Kakusui. Others lock eyes with Hotaru before leaving.

Hotaru just stares at where the outers had been, feeling her breathing return to normal. For a moment she had gotten strangest feeling of déjà vu and felt like maybe… she should've been like that, disappearing into the wind alone. But then she sees the Senshi in civilian form appear around her asking questions. She smiles. No. Right here was where she belonged.

Trying to Convince Ranma

Hotaru finishes telling her story to Ranma and Ryoga.

They congratulate her but said if they'd been there things would've been even easier. Ranma says he'd have knocked out that daimon with his first attack. Ryoga says yeah right, not with his weak attacks. Ranma head locks Ryoga but Ryoga blocks with an arm and says that if he'd been there, they'd have just had to slam the daimon into his fist of steel (punctuates with a punch in the air) instead of the boulder.

Hotaru smiles. They're both so cocky.

Ranma gets serious and says that was really dangerous though. She got lucky this time but if anything had happened to her… he trails off, looking frustrated for a second. He then refocuses and says very firmly that she shouldn't be doing something like that by herself.

Hotaru is startled at Ranma's seriousness but smiles at him reassuringly and says she wasn't alone. Ranma looks away and says yeah, he guessed so. Makoto was pretty tough and that monk was there, but still…

Hotaru says that's not it. She relied on them yes, but she only had the courage to do something like that because he and Ryoga were there too.

Both of them are confused now.

Hotaru says she couldn't have done any of that if she hadn't met them. It was their friendship and knowing them that gave her the ideas and the strength to do what she did.

Ranma thinks about it and then says well it would've been better if he were just there, in that case, then he could've just taken it out by himself.

Hotaru sighs and takes Ranma's hands. "Ranma… why do you do everything alone?"

Ranma just looks at Hotaru oddly and walks away. "What're you talking about? It's just that I can handle things myself, that's all." He sounded snappy and defensive and Hotaru withdrew.

Looking at Ranma's back as he started down her window, she realized that her room was dimly lit with her lamps again, and where Ranma was standing seemed to be another lonely spot of darkness. And for a second, she bitterly hated the way her room was, because once again Ranma looked unreachable.

Chapter 21[see episode 108].

Mamoru's Apartment

Gang is studying at Mamoru's apartment

Hotaru observes Usagi and Mamoru

Ranma is asking Mamoru lots of questions about college because he's impressed but tries to compensate by talking about martial arts

Edwards appears as per the anime and invites everybody to his party

Gang decides to go but Ranma isn't interested

They try to convince him to go with Hotaru but she doesn't want to force him, still thinking about the other night.

Waking Home Trying to Convince Ranma

Minako, Ryoga, Ranma and Hotaru part ways. Minako wants Hotaru to tell Ranma she wants him to go. She has until that night to convince him.

On the way back Hotaru subtly tries to interest Ranma into going to no avail. Ranma says he needs to train and doesn't have time to go messing around like that.

Hotaru says Mamoru and Ryoga are going.

Ranma retorts so what and hops on a fence. Hotaru is silent, feeling isolated from Ranma again.

Hotaru's home

At Hotaru's house, Ranma says goodbye and tells her to have fun. She's a girl she can do that kind of stuff.

He smiles and leaves.

The Dance

Hotaru is wandering around the massive ballroom by herself. She had wandered away from the group when they started talking to Mamoru's friends, afraid to test her English. She is awed by the beautiful architecture and luxurious decorations. The glittering crystal and brilliant lights make her feel nostalgic for some reason, though she couldn't figure out why. But despite all that, she couldn't help but feel a little lost and out of place. She thinks of what Ranma would've been doing here and smiles, wishing that he were here with her.

Suddenly Minako appears: "There you are!" Explains that Usagi had gotten drunk and was with Mamoru and the others on the balcony. Hotaru looks at Usagi and Mamoru and envies them.

Minako sees this and asks about Ranma. Hotaru says he didn't want to go.

Minako annoyed and then tells Hotaru lets boy hunt then pushes her towards a random guy. "Go for it Hotaru!"

Hotaru protests and eeps as she stumbles into a guy.

Hotaru apologizes in English stuttering but the guy surprises her by speaking in Japanese.

Talking with the Guy

The guy brings her some drinks reassuring her that it's not alcohol.

Has a conversation with her about her. Is impressed to learn that she's Professor Tomoe's daughter, the famous geneticist from Tokyo University. [focus on Hotaru's reaction to this].

Hotaru recognizes Haruka and Michiru when they start playing. It's beautiful. They have a conversation about that and he's impressed to learn she knows the world famous racer and violinist pair too.

Hotaru gradually feels at east with the guy but she thinks of Ranma. Besides him, she had never really talked so comfortably with another guy before, even Ryoga and their classmates.

The waltz starts and Hotaru is excited, exclaiming that her father loved to waltz. She tells a story of how she used to have to dance on top of his feet because she was too small.

The guy asks if she wants to dance with him and she agrees happily though she hesitates somewhat when she realizes she's not with Ranma. She does so anyway. The dance is beautiful but she feels somehow out of place/incomplete.

Senshi Watching

They watch Hotaru and Usagi dancing (with Haruka) and get jealous. They argue over who gets to dance with Ryoga/Haruka. Sees Ami already dancing with Ryoga. Everybody's dancing except them!

They play rock paper scissors but then Haruka goes to Hotaru.

Haruka and Hotaru

Haruka teases Hotaru about Ranma not being there but then asks to dance with her.

While dancing, they talk about Ranma and Hotaru admits she wished he was here. They talk about how lonely she was/is and how sometimes Ranma seems so lonely too. But he won't open up to her. Hotaru feels a lot better talking about all this and Haruka is a really good listener.

Hotaru gets really quiet as she starts thinking about Ranma. Finally, Haruka jabs at Hotaru for not being able to tell Ranma things like this but says it's worse if Hotaru's here when what she really wants is to be with him. "You should see him then. If it's that simple, go."

Hotaru has a dramatic realization as she looks into Haruka's eyes moment TM. She wasn't sure why or for what reason, but she really wanted to see Ranma all of a sudden.

The guy yells after Hotaru but she says she's sorry but she has to go.

Haruka apologizes to the guy for losing his partner. Guy jokes that the princess wasn't supposed to leave until midnight.

Haruka says she just realized she was at the wrong ball, and with the wrong prince.

Eudial Watching

Eudial watches with relief as Hotaru runs off. She hadn't been sure what to do, there was always the chance the girl might revert at any moment no matter what she did. But now that Hotaru was gone, it was clear.

Hotaru Running

Hotaru gets out of the taxi and walks quickly to Ranma's apartment. As she runs doubts and fears start welling up within her. What if he was busy? He didn't want to be with her tonight after all right? But she shoves them aside. None of that mattered as long as she could see him, she just hoped he was home.

Ranma With Nothing to Do

Ranma is pacing around restlessly in his apartment with nothing to do. His old man wasn't home for some reason and so he had just been training by himself for a while. Finally, he had gotten tired and now he was sitting here and he hated to admit it but he was feeling really… bored.

He sighs and thinks back to the dance, wondering what they were doing. Fanciful images of luxuriously clad men and women dancing across brilliant, opulent rooms flash across his mind and for a second, like a little kid enthralled by a fairy tale he thinks maybe he should've gone. He quickly crushes the thought, however. No way. He was being stupid, it was probably nothing like that, and anyway dressing up just to go stand around at some fancy place… not his thing. He needed to DO something.

Still, he was really bored right now. Sighing, he jumps out the window and decides to just go for a walk.

Hotaru at the Apartment

Hotaru rings the bell and bangs on the door. She calls out Ranma's name but nobody responds. She thinks again about what she's doing and doesn't know why. Somehow she just felt so empty without him at the dance. But… he was probably gone doing something more important. She's about to give up when Setsuna appears. Hotaru remembers her and Setsuna asks if she's looking for Ranma. She thinks he's headed for the park. Hotaru thanks her and runs off. Genma appears and says some junk.

Ranma by Himself

Ranma is staring at the lake quietly and thinking about how dark and quiet everything was. He lies back, looking at the sky. So many stars. The sky looked so crowded. And here he was without so much as another soul in sight. He felt really alone and pathetic. Geez, what was wrong with him? Hadn't he lived alone and struggled on the road alone all his life? How many times had he lain back on a field somewhere and stared up at the sky by himself before? But then, all those years on the road, sitting in the dark, even the old man had at least been there hadn't he?

He starts trying to skip stones but the throws are mediocre. What the heck was wrong with him? He tries to throw more stones but they all sink quickly. The images continue to flash, all of them together laughing until finally he sees Hotaru. He throws the last rock away angrily. After a moment he lets out a sighs, barely audible, "Hotaru…"

A stone skips across the water perfectly in front of Ranma. He spins around, He hadn't heard anybody coming at all. Standing there, smiling beautifully in her velvet dress under the moonlight, like something stepped out of a fairy tale, was Hotaru. Glancing away for a second as a sudden gust of wind blows against her, she raises a hand to brush the hair away from her eyes. "Ranma…" she says, looking up. "I'm here."

Ranma and Hotaru

Ranma and Hotaru sit skipping stones and commenting on each other's throws. Hotaru mentions the bad throws before but Ranma says he was just messing around.

They sit around quietly for a while and Ranma turns to look at Hotaru. She looked so different somehow sitting there in her dress, staring ahead with those deep eyes. He remembered her that night they had met, when he saw her in the park. Like then, there seemed to be something mysterious and dark about her, sucking him in. But it was different somehow…

She notices him looking at her and turns and asks "What are you thinking Ranma?"

Ranma looks away and asks how the dance was. She looks a little disappointed but says she had gotten back pretty early. She tells him it was nice, everything looked beautiful there… but it wasn't as fun as being with him and the others so she left early. He points out that that she was with the others and besides, she should've tried to have fun by herself anyway—they had different lives and wouldn't always be able to hang out together.

She says "Yeah…" and swallows a small knot that seemed to have formed in her throat. "But… I wanted to see you too." She pulls her knees to her chest, hugging them as if she were feeling cold.

Ranma fidgets, not sure how to reply. It was the first time somebody had said something like that to him. For some reason he had a feeling as if he had somehow put his foot in his mouth again. Hotaru had sounded so sincere and innocent and he had just replied without thinking. Finally, he says "Yeah, well… you're seeing me now right?"

Hotaru softly smiles and says "Yeah… I am aren't I?"

Hotaru asks after a while if Ranma is ever lonely and talks about how when she came back the look on his face reminded her a little of herself. Ranma says she must be mistaken. Hotaru ohs and says she's glad then, but though it is a little selfish, she had hoped a little that maybe they were the same.

Ranma says well, how can he be lonely anyway, when she was here, right? Hotaru smiles a little, slightly touched.

Hotaru then tells Ranma about the guy at the dance and her dream about the waltz. Ranma acts nonchalant but then Hotaru, hesitating for a second, says "You know Ranma, even as I was dancing with him, I kind of… wished you were there. I would've liked to dance with you." Ranma is quiet and Hotaru is a little disappointed, but then Ranma pulls a miraculous act of sensitivity out of his ass [focus on how he didn't really know what he was doing or why] and offers to dance with her.

She is surprised but happy and they dance together under the moonlight by the lake.

Chapter 22

Hotaru at School

It has been nearly a week since Edward's dance. That night had been wonderful, but then after Ryoga told them about a daimon fight that night and how he had finished the daimon off, Ranma had been training more.

She had only seen him a few times since then and even then it was only for a little bit. This wasn't all that different from before, but for some reason she felt… like something was missing. She wanted to see that lonely vulnerable Ranma she had glimpsed under the moonlight. Had it all been just a dream?

"Ranma…" Hotaru whispers as she stares out the window at school. Everybody was ignoring her as usual. "Are you afraid of me too?" No, Ranma couldn't be afraid of her. Then… "Do you… hate me?"

Suddenly Ranma appears outside her window. "Boo!"

Hotaru eeps and falls back. Ranma jumps in, grinning. Hotaru is very happy to see Ranma and doesn't notice but the entire class is watching her.

Ranma calls in Ryoga too. Hotaru is very happy.

The two "kidnap" Hotaru to go somewhere that's "a secret".

Tokyo Tower

The three are at Tokyo Tower. Hotaru is amazed and surprised that Ranma remembered when she talked about going there with her father. Ryoga says he was also surprised when Ranma told him about it. Ranma demands to know what all the surprise is about. Ranma and Ryoga almost fight but then Chibi-Usa suddenly comes running up to hug Hotaru.

She asks Ranma and Ryoga what took them so long and they reply that they had to go get Hotaru, of course.

Chibi-Usa is on a field trip with her class and brings the three back to where her class is. Her teacher scolds her for running off and Chibi-Usa introduces Hotaru, Ranma and Ryoga. She says Hotaru was one of her best friends and Hotaru smiles. They had indeed been spending a lot of time together the past week. The teacher is impressed that Chibi-Usa is friends with a Mugen Gauken student and asks if they were on a field trip too.

The three look at each other nervously and Chibi-Usa pipes in of course they are!

The teacher is a little suspicious and about to ask more but then one of the students interrupt her when she sees an elevator coming up. She asks how tall the tower is. The teacher doesn't know

Hotaru murmurs the answer and Ranma asks what? Hotaru tells him the answer is 333 meters. He says she should go tell the teacher that then but she is hesitant. She's afraid of cutting in like that.

Ranma levels a flat stare on her and after a second pushes her forward and shouts out "Hey teacher, she says its 333 meters tall!"

Hotaru is embarrassed but Chibi-Usa and the teacher is impressed. Gradually, they get her to tell them more about the tower and when they comment that she knows a lot about it, she says she loves the tower and used to go there with her parents all the time.

Hotaru asks them what they plan to see in the tower and gives them some suggestions.

Chibi-Usa wants her to give them a tour then and the teacher agrees, saying "as I'd expect from a Mugen Gauken student"

Overview

Overview of the tour. Hotaru takes the group through the Aquarium, the Wax Museum, the Trick Art Gallery, and the Holographic room. She had a lot of fun going through them and telling the class what she knew about them. She also enjoyed seeing them get so excited and amazed. Even Ranma and Ryoga were acting like kids, making faces at the wax statues and rolling around on the 3D ground art. [Focus on Hotaru's feeling of comfort and belonging]

Observation Deck

They've finally gone to the top and Hotaru is enjoying the view from Tokyo Tower. It's beautiful looking over the city and the weather was clear enough that she could even see Mount Fuji. She remembers back to when she used to go here with her father and mother (flashback). The memory fades and then she sees Ranma, Ryoga and Chibi-Usa. She thinks she's really glad to be able to be here with people she… cared about. The thought of having people like that makes her feel warm inside (dramatic reflective moment TM).

The four of them play some games identifying landmarks and Ranma teases Ryoga about his sense of direction. Scene ends with Hotaru laughing and feeling like she was 5 and with her family again.

Going Home

The three wave goodbye to Chibi-Usa and get on a bus.

Ranma then asks her about the bag of souvenirs and all the pictures she took with that camera she bought. They have a talk about why she needs these things when they're always around each other. She makes a good point that shuts Ranma up [think of one later].

Ranma says he guessed she was right and then they discuss what to do next. Hotaru is thinking that Tokyo Tower looks really nice at night and is about to suggest going there when the she starts to feel pangs from an attack.

Sacred Cup

Usagi begins to summon the sacred cup and the talismans are discovered [see anime episode 110-111]

Hotaru's Seizure [Hotaru's POV]

Hotaru screams as the cup is summoned and barely hangs onto consciousness.

The bus screeches to a stop and everybody is concerned.

She is alternating between Mistress 9 and her normal form and is visibly shaking. Everybody is worried and Ranma and Ryoga are panicking. People start saying they have to get her to a hospital but she tells them no, please take her home.

She looks at Ranma with those eyes again and Ranma yells at the bus driver to keep driving dammit! He does.

Ranma watches Hotaru, holding her in his arms and feeling helpless as he watches her struggle. Dammit, he couldn't do anything! He felt so useless and pathetic.

Running Home [Hotaru's POV]

Hotaru is fading in and out as Ranma dashes through the streets. Focus on her struggle to stay conscious and her hunger for Ranma's crystal heart.

Make her POV very surreal. She barely realizes what's going on and doesn't even know when she's back in her house and out of Ranma's arms.

Dream Sequence

Hotaru has a nightmare about the silence and the Messiah.

Sees the Sacred Cup

Ranma on Hotaru's Roof

Ranma is sitting on Hotaru's roof. Ryoga appears. He's a little annoyed of being ditched but mostly concerned about Hotaru. Ranma refuses to outright say he's worried. He insists she's okay. Ryoga asks why he wasn't with her and he says Kaolinite didn't let him in. He thinks of her scolding him for putting Hotaru in such a dangerous situation. He starts to feel guilty.

Ryoga's concern switches to Ranma now and he says that just a second ago, he looked a little like him. Ranma flashbacks to Hotaru saying the same thing and denies it. He insults Ryoga by accident and Ryoga somehow smothers his anger and tosses Ranma the bag of Hotaru's souvenirs and camera.

Hotaru Wakes Up

Hotaru wakes up sweating and scared. She is in her room. What had happened? [Standard slowly remember after traumatic experience scene TM].

She hurries out of her room and runs into Kaolinite who tells her she kicked Ranma out and that it's been five hours. The boy was long gone. And besides, she shouldn't be involved with people she might hurt. She had been about to hurt Ranma right? (Hotaru flashes back to earlier when she had been hungering for Ranma's crystal heart).

Hotaru runs into her room stammering a "that's not true!" and slams the door shut. She slumps down and thinks about Kaolinite's words. Was she really going to hurt Ranma…? But… she thinks to all the times they've been together and what he's done for her. She thinks about the day at Tokyo Tower. Ranma… was she really going to hurt him? Why did she always hurt people she cared about? He must hate her… maybe that was why he always withdrew from her.

Hotaru hears a knocking on her window and suddenly remembers all those times Ranma had appeared outside her window in class. She gets hopeful and runs to the window to open it. Nothing, just the wind.

She stares out the window and sighs sadly. What a foolish little girl she was…. But still, she fell asleep staring out that window, hoping that Ranma would appear out of the moonlight to see her.

Hotaru Wakes Up II

Hotaru wakes up in her bed under her covers. At first she thinks Kaolinite must've put her in but then she sees the bag of souvenirs. She gets up and looks out the window at the bright new morning. She smiles. Even though it was a little chilly, she feels warm.

Chapter 23

Sparring at Shizenkouen Park

Ranma, Ryoga and Hotaru are at Juuban Shizenkouen Park. Hotaru is watching the two spar and shouting out advice (watch out for that kick, etc.) to both martial artists.

After a little bit, some kids come up really excited about the fighting and asking the two if they could teach them. Ranma acts cocky and refuses to teach a bunch of kids.

He lets his guard down and Ryoga uppercuts him away, shouting "Get him! I will be your teacher!" The kids cheer and converge on Ranma, kicking him. A good-natured fight ensues and somewhere along the way, they accidentally destroy a hop-scotch figure.

The kids yell at Ranma and all of them spend awhile trying to figure out how to redraw it. Hotaru watches as they draw a bunch of weird figures, all of which Ranma can hop across easily.

Finally, an exasperated Ranma asks Hotaru if she knows how to do it correctly. Hotaru hesitates for a second as she looks at their expectant faces, feeling a small tightening in her chest as she thinks of her classmates. She gets over it, however, and smiling, goes over and redraws the figure perfectly.

Everybody is happy and makes fun of Ranma for the weird stuff he was drawing. They then converge around Hotaru and ask what else she can draw.

Senshi and Chibi-Usa

The Senshi and Chibi-Usa decide to go to the park to see the Eda Yousaku movie shoot [see episode 112].

Ranma flies to the ground in between Mimete and the Yousaku fans picking on her. The girl screams that he had gotten their shoes/pants dirty and yell at/insult him while he's just confused about what's going on.

Ranma starts getting angry after a bit but doesn't want to hit them because they're girls.

Mimete says "Well aren't you going to do something, you're a man aren't you?"

Ranma looks at her and notices that she's angry but stares too long because there's something very familiar about her. Mimete blushes and looks away, noticing that Ranma is very handsome. She mutters that he had smashed her cake.

Ranma snaps back to reality and sees the cake. Without think he eats it and says its good. Mimete flushes and says thanks.

Ranma asks if he can eat the rest of it and does. Then he suggests an idea about the girls as Ryoga runs up.

The Revenge

Ranma, Ryoga and Mimete watch from behind some bushes as the fans are mobbed by the little kids. Ranma and Mimete snicker though Ryoga feels a little bad. Ranma thanks Ryoga and gets up to leave

Ranma: "Well it was nice meeting you, uh…"

Mimete: "Mimete!"

Ranma grins sheepishly, which Mimete finds very attractive. He had forgotten to even ask her name. Mimete asks his name. Ranma: "Oh yeah! Sorry, I'm Ranma Saotome." Mimete thinks it's very cute how "shy/flustered" he was around her. He then says he's got to go now but maybe they'll see each other again sometime.

Chibi-Usa

Hotaru is drawing with some of the kids when Chibi-Usa's runs up to greet her. They talk to each other about what they're doing there. The kids ask Hotaru if she was still going to play with them. Hotaru says of course and then looks at Chibi-Usa who's looking at the drawing curiously and asks if she wanted to play with them too. Chibi-Usa says of course.

Chibi-Usa and Hotaru Talk

The two are drawing while the kids play hop-scotch and Chibi-Usa teases Hotaru about Ranma. Ranma and Ryoga appear with another group of kids and she runs up to them to continue the teasing. Ranma picks her up and tells her to stop saying weird things. The kids suddenly dog pile him after Chibi-Usa screams for Hotaru to tell her boyfriend to put her down.

Hotaru unexpectedly plays along. She moves the kids to a side and kneels down by Ranma. "I don't know, Ranma's a pretty stubborn boyfriend."

Ranma is startled and asks what the heck is Hotaru doing.

Chibi-Usa leans in and says maybe he needs a kiss.

Hotaru leans over and pokes Ranma in the nose.

Suddenly a daimon attacks and Ranma watches Hotaru's face twist into shock and confusion as the daimon takes her.

Mimete's Jealousy

Mimete is seeing red. She's angry. All she heard was references to Ranma as this girl's boyfriend. But he didn't even seem to like her. That whore! She decided to scrap the plan and take that girl's crystal heart. [Alternate scene: Mimete blames Ranma and wants Hotaru's heart because it must be pure to have won Ranma]

Beginning of the Fight

Ranma screams "Hotaru!" and not even thinking jumps to his feet to chase after the daimon Western. He catches some horseshoes and throws them back at Western, one hitting the horse and the other narrowly missing Hotaru. Ranma's heart jumped. He was scared. But he knocked Western down. Hotaru falls down and rolls a little away. Wincing, she looks up, "Ranma!"

Ranma hadn't paid attention to Western at all, deathly worried and gets hi with horseshoes which he catches and the water gun, which distracts him long enough to get pinned down to the ground by a horseshoe on one wrist. He screams at Hotaru to run as Western remounts. Hotaru weakly pushes herself to her feet, looking like she's having another attack and stumbles towards him. Ranma pulls desperately at the horseshoe pinning him but it barely budges. Western scoops up Hotaru and takes off again. Ranma doesn't think and tries to run after them, "Hotaru!"

Ryoga

Ryoga watches in dread as Ranma takes off. He has to follow him?! He yells at Chibi-Usa to take care of the kids and runs after Ranma. He runs the wrong way and Chibi-Usa shouts after him but he's already gone.

Rescuing Hotaru

Mimete steps in front of Ranma and tells him not to worry, that the little whore would be dead soon enough.

Ranma pays her no attention telling her to shut up and throwing a horseshoe at her. Mimete is first shocked and then angry. She orders Western to stop and take Hotaru's heart then Ranma's.

Ranma panics, pulling desperately at his bonds as the Daimon begins to such out Hotaru's heart. She reaches a hand out to him. Ranma mutters "no no" over and over again. He was almost free, almost…!

Ranma bursts free just as Hotaru's Crystal Heart comes out and throws the horseshoe without thinking. "Please, please…" It hits right it right in its side and knocks it away. Without looking at it Ranma runs up to Hotaru, cradling her. "Please Hotaru, be alright, c'mon c'mon wake up…"

Hotaru slowly opens her eyes. "Ranma…"

Ranma sighs in relief and asks if she's alright. She says yeah then looks at something behind Ranma. Ranma looks back at Western and says "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Hotaru starts to say something but grimaces. Another attack. Ranma watches helplessly, not sure what to do. After a moment he puts Hotaru down and turns to Western, feeling his rage begin to boil.

Ranma faces Western as it approaches. Bending his knees and shifting into a loose stance, he cracks his knuckles. "I'm going to kick your ass!"

Mimete: "Kill them both Western!"

Ryoga

Ryoga ends up back where he started. The kids point him in the right direction and he runs off.

The Fight

Ranma dodges some horseshoes, making sure to catch the few he thought would go near Hotaru. He jumps and rolls out of the pistol's way, throwing one into a stream and splashing some of the water into Western's eyes, temporarily blinding her.

Taking the advantage, Ranma closes the distance and lands a few devastating combos. He uppercuts her away. She flies back and gets back up.

"Stupid stupid" he thinks. He shouldn't have let her get away like that. But he forgot she wasn't human. Solid hits like that would have knocked out a normal person.

He runs up and kicks her head as she gets up but she rolls away and lassoes Ranma's torso and starts dragging him. She pulls him into a hard punch that knocks the breath out of him

"Western!" she shouts. Ranma looks up and grins. "Gotcha." He is holding Western's hand in his own. Blocking a punch with his other hand, he head butts Western and follows up with an elbow. He falls mounted on her and starts raining down punches.

Mimete screams at Western to do something.

A burst of horseshoes explodes out and sends Ranma flying backwards. He lands with a thud. He had blocked most of the hits but his arms hurt like hell now. He gets up, throws off the lasso and looks at Western.

She had remounted her pogo-horse and was quickly bearing down on him. He glances at Hotaru and sees her looking at him worried but seemingly okay. Too close, he had to move the fight away from her. Throwing off the lasso, he begins to run towards western.

Genma had taught him some techniques against mounted opponents. This was a little different but still, the key parts were the same: perfect timing and dismounting the opponent. Jumping up and down like that and with such an unstable base only made it easier.

Ranma ducks and rolls under a pogo jump and spins around to kick Western's legs, knocking her off balance.

He is instantly after her, trying to pin her down but she kicks the horse at him and fires a few shots at him that forces him back. He holds onto the horse and uses it as a shield.

They circle around each for a little while before Ranma throws the horse at Western, which catches an arm its spring. Western shakes the caught hand as Ranma runs up and slams his fist into her face, following with another devastating combo.

He tries to kick her legs out but Western suddenly sticks the horse in between them. It explodes outwards, torpedoing him away. He sees several horseshoes flying as well.

Still holding onto the horse, he tries to use it to break to his fall and hits the ground a little roughly but is on his feet again in a second, though breathing heavily. Glancing down he sees that the horse is cracked and there were some large splinters in his arms.

He ignores them and starts to dash towards Western, who suddenly launches her poncho at him, obscuring his view. He throws the horse at it and leaps to a side only to see horseshoes flying at him. A trap! They slam into him and he flies back into a tree, his arms throbbing. He looks up and sees Western charging at him. He had to get out of the way. He pushes himself back to his feet.

Suddenly though, the daimon trips. Hotaru had lassoed its legs and was pulling on it with grim determination.

Ranma: "Hotaru! No!" He started towards Western as fast as he could but she was already taking her pistol and aiming it at Hotaru, who stared back determinedly, not letting go.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter's attack knocks the pistol out of Western's hands.

Ranma stops, breathing heavily, and watches as the Senshi appear. "It's about time…" he mutters.

Sailor Moon does a quick speech and then does her spiral moon heart attack, which is destroyed by horseshoes. The Senshi are dismayed and Ranma sighs. "Girls…" he says.

Senshi: "What?"

Ranma: "I thought you were going punish it, what the heck was that?!"

Senshi: "Hey, this daimon is stronger than the others!"

Mimete: "Aghh! Enough of this! Western, kill that girl!"

Ranma's eyes shoot back to Hotaru, who's still holding the rope but then the outers do their attack, knocking it down.

They start giving their speeches and Ranma knocks the daimon as it gets up against a tree. "Will you guys stop talking so much and do something already?!"

Chibi-Moon Appears and does her small attack.

Ranma twitches: "Something useful?!"

Uranus rolls her eyes and whispers to Neptune: "That really is Ranma alright…"

Pluto appears and shouts "Sailor Moon, do your second transformation!"

Sailor Moon: "Crisis make up!" "Rainbow Moon Heartache!" Moon dust.

Ranma turns to Mimete, who runs off screaming "I'll get you!" Ranma sighs now that it's finally over. Man, what a bunch of weirdos.

The Aftermath

Ranma is holding Hotaru's shoulders and sighs with relief when she insists she's alright. He was showing a lot of concern for her and says "That was too close, for a second I thought I wasn't going to…"

Hotaru stares at Ranma. All of this worry… because of her? Ranma looked so small and vulnerable right now, just like that night. She reaches out a hand squeezes his shoulder reassuringly.

He suddenly pulls back though and starts scolding her for trying to get in the fight like that, just like the other time. What was she doing being so reckless?

Hotaru is taken aback and feels sad, but not so much because Ranma is scolding her. For some reason it didn't feel like he was really scolding her. She just had the feeling that he had shut himself off again. She apologizes softly and wonders why.

Chapter 24

At the Shrine

Hotaru watches Ranma fight with Ryoga at the shrine. It looked like the same old Ranma and yet it wasn't. Something was different, he felt so distant now. She didn't know exactly how but… even though he was right there he felt so far away.

Ranma gets an arm bar and grins ah Hotaru: "How was that Hotaru?"

Hotaru smiles: "Great job Ranma!"

Takeru, Etsuya, Osamu and Mitsuo are there also and make some comments and have some light banter with Hotaru.

Hotaru thinks it was strange because at the same time she really felt like… she belonged now. Like she was a part of the group, one of them, Ranma's friends. One of them puts an arm about Hotaru and whispers something to Hotaru and she laughs at the joke. Yes, she was just as close to Ranma as they were, so then… why did she feel so different?

Maybe… she thinks back to those few times she had seen Ranma vulnerable and the times he had seemed so worried about her. When she had felt like… they were the same. Maybe that was why. Maybe she was being selfish, she had seen Ranma with his guard down, when nobody else had, and it was that part of him she wanted to see again and comfort, not this mask he was putting up. She wanted to be more than just one of the group, she wanted… she really wanted to help him.

After a bit, Ranma stops and announces that he should be going now. The Senshi come up and asks if he's sure, they were going to get ice cream in a bit. Hotaru sees Ranma very briefly, too subtle for somebody who didn't know him well shift his weight towards her and glance at her. She had seen it, clear as day! But what did it mean?

Hotaru: "I'd like you to go too Ranma."

The others all look at Hotaru, surprised. She was being unusually direct.

Ranma hesitates and then says "Oh, ah… nah, sorry. I really gotta go train." He turns and leaves quickly.

Hotaru is disappointed. She had put herself out there and… nothing. She looked at Ranma's retreating figure. They hadn't been together, just the two of them, in a long time. She thinks, "Do you really want to be alone so much Ranma?"

Chibi-Usa goes to comfort Hotaru but she shakes her head and says thanks, but Chibi-Usa was mistaken. She didn't expect anything from Ranma, she just thought he might have wanted to go.

Hotaru Talks to Father

Hotaru goes home, waving to Chibi-Usa and Usagi. As she goes in and heads to her room she is surprised to see her father too. He talks to her about her friends and she decides to ask him about going out with her sometime. He too refuses, saying he's too busy. She sadly says she understands and heads to her room.

Nightmare

Hotaru has a nightmare related to her inability to reach Ranma. Her sickness is keeping her back and she feels like it's somehow her fault.

Morning Surprise

Hotaru wakes up and goes downstairs to find her father chatting with Ranma. She is shocked. Her father says Ranma's quite an interesting person. You have good friends Hotaru. He leaves them so they can talk, saying he has to get back to work.

Hotaru is very happy to have Ranma with her like this. It was so… different! The cool morning and the soft yet warm sunlight, it was all so… nice! [focus on the morning ambience]

Ranma brags to Hotaru that her father had said he was a talented young man. They talk about her father and then about mornings. Hotaru notices Ranma glance furtively at something and asks what he was looking at.

He denies doing any such thing but she sees him shift his eyes quickly as he says it. She looks down notices that her sweater, which was too big for her, was hanging really low and there was a large tear in leading down to her chest. She flushes a deep red and pulls it up, covering herself.

Ranma is also very embarrassed and looks away, stammering that it wasn't like that, he just didn't know what to say to her about it.

After a little bit though, Hotaru regains her composure and smiles. Did that mean… "Ranma?" she asks, feeling playful.

He lifts his head up and only slowly turns his eyes towards her, making sure it was safe to look. "Er… yeah?"

Hotaru: "Do you think I'm pretty?"

Ranma: "Ack! What?!"

Hotaru stares at him inquisitively for a second and then pulls down her sweater again.

Ranma turns bright red and jumps away "Hotaru!"

Hotaru smiles, feeling her heart flutter for a second. So Ranma really did see her that way, as a… woman. She giggles, feeling like the little schoolgirl she hadn't felt in a long time. It was a nice feeling.

Ranma and Kaolinite

Hotaru is going to take a shower and looks out of the doorway, telling Ranma she'll be really quick and don't peek!

Ranma: You don't have to tell me that!"

Ranma wanders to the far end of the hall and looks out a window. That Hotaru… when did she become like this? Ranma smiles though. It was nice. It felt like… the real her, the one he had glimpsed every now and then. She was showing herself to him… in more ways than one. Ranma sighs, massaging his head at the thought.

He turns around and nearly has a heart attack seeing Kaolinite.

The two talk, saying it's been awhile etc.

The shower stops and Kaolinite sees Ranma glance towards the bathroom. She says "You're very selfish you know? She risks her health to be like this with you and what have you given her?"

Ranma is speechless. Kaolinite had shifted subjects completely but had hit a sensitive part in him dead on.

Ranma: "I can… protect her…"

Kaolinite laughs. "Protect her? That's neither what she needs nor wants. What she wants… before this world ends… I something a person like her can never have and a person like you can never give: a real friend."

Ranma is defensive: "What're you talking about! I am her friend!"

Kaolinite walks away. "I said a real one. IF you were one, she wouldn't have been crying in her sleep last night."

Ranma is speechless. Crying? Hotaru? He doesn't know what to do or say.

Hotaru exits the shower and looks around. AS she turns towards him he regains his composure. She was looking at him so happy and beautiful. The sun streamed down against her as she smiled at him. "Thanks for waiting for me Ranma, shall we go?"

Ranma forces a smile and nods. "Yeah, lets go."

Walking to School

Ranma is walking Hotaru to school. Hotaru is saying she was really glad to have somebody with her like this. These walks were always so lonely. She asks if he knew how glad she was the first time he had walked her to school.

He absently asks how much. She thinks and says "Hrm… well I didn't know you as well then, or see you so much so… a little less than I am now I think." She laughs.

Ranma winces, thinking about what Kaolinite said.

Hotaru finally asks Ranma what's wrong. He's been distant since they left. Ranma says nothing.

Hotaru sighs. After some silence she finally says, "You know Ranma, sometimes I wish you'd tell me what you'd tell me what you're really thinking."

Ranma says "What? I' am, what are you talking about?"

Hotaru talks about the dream she had last night and how she couldn't reach Ranma. But then when she woke up today she was so happy because he was here. But at the same time… he wasn't.

Ranma winces as they reach the school gates. Hotaru was… Hotaru was really opening up to him, telling him what she was thinking. This was the real her, just as much as the one that laughed and smiled so beautifully. But… He turns away and says he'd better go to school now.

Hotaru: "I see…"

Ranma starts to leave and then says "Hey, I'm always going to protect you okay?"

Hotaru smiles softly, "Yeah Ranma. Okay."

He leaves.

"Hotaru stands under the shadow of her school, feeling lonely in a crowd again. "But that's not what I want Ranma…"

Chapter 25

Minako Invites Ranma to Autograph Session

Minako is asking Ranma if he was going to the study session later. He had been training for the past few days already. Ranma said it's not like they needed him to tutor them. And his grades were fine too (they were, nothing to talk about they were…). Minako says there's an autograph session for that manga he liked about martial arts. He's not really interested. He's not interested. Hotaru and Ryoga are coming. He thinks about how they've started drifting apart and he didn't know what to do. Minako says Hotaru really wanted to get that autograph. Ranma finally agrees.

Hotaru Usagi and Chibi-Usa

The three are hurrying to the manga autograph session. They had told Hotaru that Ranma was going to be there. She hadn't seen Ranma since that day he had come to her house in the morning and was eager to see him. In fact, she was even walking faster than Usagi, who really wanted to get the autograph.

Usagi's communicator sounds. It was Ami telling her a daimon had attacked and Ranma and Ryoga were fighting it. Usagi tried to stop Hotaru but she's already there.

The Fight [see episode 113].

Ranma is partially pinned against a wall by Uhenshu's photocomposition attack, but his elbow is giving him some room. Nearby Ryoga was pinned down by three photocompositions and struggling. He had been that strong.

Ranma grits his teeth as Mimete approaches and says something about him breaking her heart. She then tells Uhenshu to go ahead and take Ranma's heart as payment.

Hotaru appears and Mimete is ecstatic.

Ranma panics and slices the photocomposition with one of the pencils that had been shot at him, yelling at Hotaru to get back. He had been hoping to get an advantage by luring the daimon in but now he was feeling pressured and rushes things. He throws several pencils at Ryoga, hoping it would be enough to free him.

Ranma dodges a few "White Manuscript Hell" attacks. Those were easy, there were a lot of them but they came in only a few narrow directions. The safe thing to do would be to jump back and keep his distance, but he cuts it close and tries to press inwards. Suddenly though, she fills the holes with her pencil attack.

Ranma: Shit!" he twists out of the way of the first attack and lands on the ground. He knows there's more coming and starts to dash away, but suddenly a shadow comes over him.

It's Tuxedo Mask. He's holding up the photocomposition that had trapped Ranma as a shield and the pencils pierce and stick to it. He hears Jupiter and Mars do a dual attack that hit the daimon and jumps to his feet to join in the attack.

Tuxedo Mask: "Wait! Don't be so reckless!"

Ranma ignores him and dashes forward at the Daimon as it gets up to its feet and attacks it. The Daimon uses transforms its arm using the "borderline safe" and Ranma grins as he notices it makes the arm slower. Ranma blocks the arm and jumps up into a flying armbar. He grins as he lands in position and gives a sharp pull. He is surprised when the arm breaks off completely. Uhenshu uses a hole puncher attack that blasts him back followed by two photocompositions.

Ryoga catches Ranma and Tuxedo Mask stops the photocompositions with some roses.

Venus traps the daimon's arm with her love me chain as it tries to blast Ranma and Mercury does her Shine Aqua Illusion to freeze its feet in place.

Mars and Jupiter shout "Now Sailor Moon, it's clear!"

Sailor Moon does her Rainbow Moon Heartache and destroys the daimon.

Ranma sighs as the dust settles, his heart pounding. Hotaru was okay… Hotaru was okay…

Mimete had disappeared.

Aftermath

Hotaru tries to heal Ranma but he shrugs it off and asks if she's alright. She gives him a sharp look and says she wasn't even in the fight and tells him to sit down so she can heal him. Ranma feels stupid and a little chastened by Hotaru and says sorry, he was just worried about her. He knew she was coming and wanted to finish the fight before she came but didn't.

Hotaru sighs and says "You know Ranma, I worry about you too…"

Ranma doesn't say. Hotaru then asks where Ryoga is. He says here and she heals him too. Then they wonder where the girls are when they suddenly show up.

Outers Watching

The Outers are watching from a distance. They're talking about how the Senshi were stronger than they had thought. They didn't have to intervene this time. Michiru wonders if it was because of Ranma. Haruka says that if he keeps it up, he was going to get hurt, he shouldn't meddle in this.

Setsuna is silent and just watches Ranma.

Running Home Together

The gang is walking home. Usagi is sad that she didn't get an autograph. It is revealed somehow that Ranma didn't really care, he had only gone for Hotaru.

Ranma is walking on a fence and Hotaru thinks that she hasn't seen Ranma like that in a while.

The others tease Ranma about fighting daimons so much and asks if he was a Senshi. Ranma says that was about as likely as them being Senshi. They laugh and ask him which one is his favorite Senshi. He says it's really hard for him to remember what they look like for some reason, but he actually thought they were kind of annoying. Always butting into his fights and making stupid speeches. The Senshi angrily say it sounded like he was about to get his ass kicked before they came and those speeches serve a purpose you know. Ranma says whatever, why do they care so much?

Ryoga suddenly asks where they went during the fight and how'd they know when to come back. They make up some excuse

Chibi-Usa asks Ranma why he was walking on the fence like that. Hotaru remembers the first time she had seen him do that to and his explanation then. Hotaru wonders if Ranma even remembers that conversation.

Ranma asks Chibi-Usa why not and the two argue for a little before Ranma turns to Hotaru and asks if she remembered when they talked about this. Chibi-Usa looks at Hotaru curiously.

Hotaru smiles and says "Yeah, it doesn't matter what other people think as long as you're doing what you want." She pauses for a moment. "That's a little selfish though now that I think about it."

The others laugh and agree and Ranma huhs and asks what she's talking about.

Hotaru says "Maybe it's more like this: you should be true to yourself, and to others." She locks eyes with Ranma who looks away quickly.

Hotaru is a little sad and the others tease her about how deep she was and how much she's changed since they first met.

Chibi-Usa alone notices the sadness in Hotaru and somehow gets on Ranma's back and tells him to prove his words. He decides to make her regret this and runs around screaming look at me and spinning her around. Chibi-Usa is very embarrassed and demands to be let down.

Rei and Makoto sweat drop but then see Minako on Ryoga's back yelling let's go! Then Usagi is on Rei's back. Ryoga runs off but Rei chases Usagi instead after getting her butt slapped.

Makoto and Ami run after them yelling at them to slow down.

Hotaru is left watching and feeling lonely again.

Suddenly, Chibi-Usa grabs her hand, "C'mon Hotaru you can't stay out of this! This was your fault!"

Hotaru laughs as Chibi-Usa pulls her along yelling look at us, look at us! Hotaru feels happy as she sees the other running with her and they ran into the sunset as fast as they could towards the shrine, shadows chasing shadows and people chasing people.

Hotaru suddenly remembers Ranma though and wonders where he is. She looks back and sees that sad lonely Ranma watching her. They lock eyes for a second and he smiles and gives a short wave. She wants to go after him but Chibi-Usa pulls her along. She looks at Chibi-Usa, looks back, and Ranma is gone.

Chapter 26

Hotaru at Shrine Without Ranma

Hotaru walks into the shrine study session. Chibi-Usa who is on Usagi's neck pinning her to the ground immediate says "Hotaru!" and gleefully runs to Hotaru, hugging her.

Hotaru smiles. "Hello Chibi-Usa, hello everyone." The others all wave at Hotaru who scans the room quickly.

"Ranma's training with his dad today," Minako says, answering her unspoken question. Ryoga says "Probably trying to beat me."

Hotaru nods and sits down. She reflects on Ranma and how even though he's been here relatively often and been acting his usual cocky self, something was different. He acted like there was something bothering him. It was subtle, so subtle only she noticed it but he seemed more impatient, defensive. A little tense after certain comments and before certain responses. And something else, hidden behind his eyes. Like that lonely Ranma she had seen sometimes but also… fear? Ranma afraid? Hotaru couldn't fathom it, it was just all so strange.

Chibi-Usa accuses Hotaru of ignoring her. Hotaru apologizes and helps Chibi-Usa with her homework. Others clamor for help next. Hotaru smiles and says she will as soon as she could. She was happy to help. She just wished she could help Ranma.

Talking with Chibi-Usa

Hotaru is walking home with Chibi-Usa. They first talk about their mothers and Chibi-Usa says her mother sent her here to make friends. They talk about friendship and what it means. Is Ranma and Chibi-Usa a friend? Is Hotaru?

The scene ends with Hotaru feeling happy that she had such good friends (flash to memories Hotaru had of intimate moments between her and the Senshi and Ranma's classmates that I haven't written yet to convey the feeling that a lot has happened and their relationship has thrived). She just wishes Ranma could be like that too.

Ranma and Haruka

Ranma is hitting a punching bag in the parking lot. It's late and dark.

Haruka approaches commenting on the nice sounds he was making, but wasn't it hard to see with so little light?

Ranma takes off his blind fold, "Yeah, actually I can't see at all."

Haruka sweat drops and notices Ranma isn't wearing gloves either.

They talk about why Ranma wants to get strong so much but Ranma doesn't give a satisfactory answer.

Haruka says strength without a purpose is a little useless.

Haruka walks away and Michiru says to him "You know he just wants to protect that girl of his."

Haruka: "Then he should've just said so. Because he didn't, I think there's more to it. He's holding something inside him and it's tearing him apart."

Michiru: "Are you going to try to save him?

Haruka: "I can't do that, and in any case we still have the world to worry about."

Ranma Introspection Scene

Ranma is in his room trying to sleep. He keeps thinking about what Haruka said. Why did he want strength so bad? It was all he had known, true, but at the same time there was something more wasn't there? He… Ranma flashes back to Genma's shocked face yelling at him (Nekoken memory but don't say it).

Ranma shivers and curls up pulling his blanket close. He felt disgusted himself for being so weak but still… he closed his eyes wishing he would go to sleep but still he kept thinking about Haruka's words. Strength… then he suddenly flashed back to Hotaru's shocked face as the daimon attacked her. Ranma's eyes shoot open. "Hotaru!" His body was completely tensed up.

"Pops?" He called his father's name and rolled over. On the road he always did this when he got scared, though he would never admit it. Turn around and look at his father's back. Sometimes the old man would even still be awake and might say something that was half-comforting. But now… now there was nobody there.

Ranma stares at a corner trying to force his mind clear. But he felt it coming back. Crawling, scritchity scratch, like so many little clawed feet. The shadows seemed to form eyes and stare back at him. "Weak… weak…" it spoke but sounded like hissing.

"Shut up!" Ranma throws his blanket at the shadow and all at once it seems to disappear. "I'm not weak… I'm not weak…" he repeated to himself over and over. But… he still felt so alone.

Chapter 27

Hotaru Wakes Up at Home

Hotaru wakes up from an attack not remembering anything. She notices she's in her school uniform so that meant she must've either been getting ready to go to school or… She thinks: "I hear someone calling in my head… It was like this at school… then my mind seemed to fade… and I can't remember after that…"

She sighs and wonders about these attacks. Why couldn't she remember anything. "Stupid, it's because you pass out," a part of her said. She smiled. That sounded like something Ranma would say. Thinking about Ranma though, made her realize she had missed the study session and the possibility of seeing Ranma. She had been seeing him on and off for the past week but today they had planned to go out instead of studying.

Hotaru frets and reaches for the phone to call the shrine. She pauses for a second to reflect on how easily she used the phone now. Before, just a month ago, she could never have imagined it. As she picks up the phone however, Kaolinite appears and says her friends have been waiting for her downstairs. She is surprised Kaolinite hasn't sent them away and rushes down to meet them.

Downstairs she finds the entire gang including Ranma and his classmates there. As Hotaru enters they tell her they've been waiting for her. When she didn't come to the shrine or answer her phone they got worried and came to see her.

Hotaru is very happy and asks if they could wait for her to change

Makoto teases why? So she could outshine them again?

Hotaru quips back "No Makoto, just you."

Everybody laughs and Hotaru finds Ranma. She catches Ranma's eyes. He's laughing too and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them. She smiles and then says she'll be right back. Make sure Ranma doesn't peek. She winks at Ranma who is suddenly flustered. Chibi-Usa tackles him to make sure he doesn't peek and Osamu sits on him while Mitsuo squats down to cheerfully ask what Hotaru was talking about.

The Day

[Do an overview of the day. First they had eaten at a restaurant. The girls were checking out guys while Ranma asserted that he, heck even Ryoga was better than them. Ryoga hadn't been sure whether or not that was a compliment. They had gotten kicked out when Chibi-Usa went to the other guys to tell them what Ranma said and the guys had gotten into a small fight. Outside Ryoga decided that Ranma had insulted him by placing him on the same level of stupidity as Ranma and another fight ensued and they got chased by police. After they finally escaped, the girls forced them to go shopping with them for getting them kicked out everywhere. Ranma and Mitsuo got away without carrying bags but Ranma ended up carrying Chibi-Usa on his neck, who seemed to enjoy shouting and hitting Ranma's head. Ranma finally got tired of it and threw Chibi-Usa at Ryoga, causing another fight]

Now they were at the shrine watching a scary movie. Hotaru looked around. Usagi had Mamoru, Minako and Makoto surrounded Ryoga. Ami wasn't scared but was chatting with Etsuya and Rei had brought in Yuuichirou. Mitsuo was sleeping and Takeru had called a girl from somewhere over. Ranma was next to her and really into the movie, shouting at the stupidity of the characters.

Suddenly Osamu came back into the room carrying a bunch of snacks and Chibi-Usa on his shoulder. He went right next to Hotaru and squeezed in between her and Etsuya. Chibi-Usa seems to smirk at her as she stumbles a little falls against Ranma, who looks at her and moves a little to the side to make room. Osamu stretches however and Chibi-Usa hops over to Ranma's other side and squeezes him towards Hotaru.

The two end up being pressed against each other. Chibi-Usa says "Stop taking up all the space Ranma! Move over!"

Ranma's about to snap something back when he feels Hotaru relaxing and leaning against his side. She slips her arm into his, like at the festival. He looks down at her feeling a little strange. She just says "let's stay like this a little Ranma…" He fidgets a little but sits back and watches the movie.

Hotaru stays like that, letting herself become enveloped in the warm ambience and feel of Ranma's body, even if it was a little tense.

Walking Home

Ranma and Hotaru are walking home. It's been a long time since he's walked her home, she thinks. Back then, she had been quiet and lonely. Had she changed, she wondered? She was still sad and lonely at school but around Ranma and the others… had she changed? Sometimes she felt like there was another person inside of her… who was the real her?

She looks up at Ranma walking on the fence. He had been quiet since they had split up from Usagi and Chibi-Usa. Before she would've blamed it on herself but now… well, she knew there was something bothering Ranma, had been bothering him for a long time now.

She decides to say "I'm glad you came today Ranma."

Ranma glances down at her and says "Yeah, no problem. It was good seeing you guys too.

Hotaru: "I know you've been really busy training, I'm glad you took some time to see us. I know how important the Art is to you."

Ranma looks away, "Yeah well… I was getting a little bored without you guys."

Hotaru smiles sadly. That look away. It meant something too. She could pick up those little things about Ranma so well but still, he wouldn't open up to her. "What's wrong Ranma?" She finally asks?

Ranma: "Huh? Nothing's wrong, what're you talking about?" He glances at her, seeming genuinely ignorant of what she was talking about.

Hotaru sighs. "These past two weeks something's been bothering you Ranma. You've been so distant and I don't think it's just because of your training. Please, tell me." He doesn't say anything and she stops, looking up at him. He looks down at her and she can tell by the look on his face that she had been right, there was something bothering him.

She raises a hand and offers it towards him. "I'm your friend, right Ranma? If… if you don't want to tell me what's wrong, that's fine but I just want you to know that I'm here for you and… and… I hope you can at least acknowledge that…"

Ranma looks down at her uncertainly. He looks into her eyes, those same deep and dark eyes as before that seemed to pierce into him, pulling him in, like that night. But this time her face was so warm and trusting and yet…

Haruka suddenly pulls up and offers them a ride.

The Drive with Haruka [see episode 115]

Haruka is driving the two home and trying to get them to talk, teasing them and asking if they were on a date but they're quiet. She's starting to think maybe she shouldn't have picked them up. She asks if they had just had a lovers quarrel. They both quickly deny that and Haruka sighs. She wonders if this really was the boy that fought daimons with his bare hands and this really was the girl that they thought might've been related to the enemy.

Haruka gets a feeling, hearing a rustling in the wind and stops the car to go investigate, making up some excuse.

She gets out and runs into Utomodachi daimon. She transforms and fights.

Ranma and Hotaru in Car

Ranma and Hotaru wait in the car in awkward silence. Hotaru is feeling stupid for asking Ranma. Ranma is grappling with his inner doubt and about to say something when they hear the sounds of fighting. It's a daimon and they can see Uranus's attacks. Ranma starts to go and Hotaru says he doesn't have to, the Senshi will take care of it. But Ranma wants to go and does, telling her to stay there and don't get involved no matter what.

Hotaru watches, worried as he leaves.

The Fight [see episode 115]

Ranma jumps in on the fight and helps Uranus. It is difficult and he makes some reckless moves. Uranus yells at him to stop being so distracted after futilely trying to get him to leave.

Ranma is badly beaten. Uranus tells him to stay back.

Suddenly he hears Hotaru shouting to him. He looks towards her and realizes that they had somehow come back to the car. She was stumbling out by the door, seeming to be having an attack.

Mimete sees her. "You again! Utomodachi, take her now!"

Utomodachi yells something about friends, Ranma flashes back to Hotaru saying they're friends and makes a reckless dive to stop Utomodachi and engages in some hand to hand combat that leaves him partially entangled. Utomodachi tosses him saying, "I don't want you!" and launches a blast.

Uranus jumps in front of him and does a world shaking to stop the attack but because it's so close they're propelled backwards by the shockwaves, with Uranus taking the brunt of it.

Ranma stumbles to his knees, his vision blurry but sees Hotaru in the distance. Utomodachi steps in front of him. You're a bad friend!

Ranma: "Shut up!" He tries to attack but is entangled by jump ropes that shock him. He falls to the ground with a scream. He struggles weakly, muttering "let me out, let me out!"

He sees Mimete pick Hotaru up and shove her at Utomodachi: "Kill her first! I want him to watch it."

Hotaru is on her knees, shaking from her seizure.

Ranma screams and tries to throw himself at Utomodachi but is shocked again. He loses consciousness hearing only the daimon saying "You're a bad friend," over and over again as it picks up Hotaru.

Ranma Nightmare

Ranma has a nightmare about the Nekoken. Theme is of failure and how he let down his father and Hotaru [make it some really cracked shit]. The dream ends with him crying, something very unusual, which he had never wanted to do again.

Ranma's Failure

It's raining as Ranma wakes up to Hotaru and Haruka shaking him. He bolts up and winces in pain. He bites it off though. "Hotaru! What happened? I saw… the daimon… It had you and I couldn't, I couldn't…"

Hotaru shakes her head, she doesn't remember anything after seeing him. Haruka says they were both unconscious when she came. The Senshi must've finished the daimon off, but she glances at Hotaru darkly.

Ranma sees Hotaru shivering and starts to reach for her when he notices the scratches on her and her torn clothing. "Dammit!" he mutters bitterly

Hotaru starts to say let her heal him but he pulls away. She remembers her classmates doing that and is a little hurt.

But Ranma just says "I'm sorry Hotaru, I'm sorry… I screwed up…" He starts pounding the ground, gradually hitting it harder and harder. "I screwed up, I screwed up… I should've been stronger but…I screwed up!" She draws back in shock at his anger as he pounds his fist really hard into the ground.

He gets up and starts stumbling away. Hotaru starts to get up but feels another attack coming. "No… not now…"

Ranma says "I'm sorry Hotaru, I couldn't protect you. I'm… I'm such a bad friend…"

Hotaru tries to say "No Ranma" but he runs off.

Haruka starts to go after him but sees Hotaru collapse and goes to help her instead.

Ranma Running Away

Ranma is running through the rain. All around him he thought he saw cats and he kept hearing hissing that seemed to be telling him he was weak, a failure. He yells shut up! Shut up! And he was glad it was raining because then if he was crying, nobody, especially not him, could tell.

Chapter 28

211\. Hotaru Alone

Hotaru is at a study session. Minako tells her Ranma hadn't gone to school today. Hotaru is worried. She's tried calling but nobody picked up at the apartment. Chibi-Usa suggests going over there but Hotaru isn't sure that's a good idea. Maybe he really wanted to be alone. Chibi-Usa reassures her that it would be fine. Besides, right now Ranma probably needed her the most. Hotaru agrees to go.

Dumpster Scene

Hotaru is in the parking lot of Ranma's apartment building and sees Ranma punching a metal dumpster relentlessly with his fists. After a while he stops, lifting his fist up and staring at it in disgust.

Hotaru: "Ranma…"

He stiffens but doesn't turn around. "Hey" he says.

Hotaru: "I tried calling you…"

Ranma: "Sorry, I wasn't home…" He lowers his fists down to his sides and Hotaru is shocked to see it raw and bleeding.

She starts towards him reflexively but stops after a few steps and asks, "Why are you doing this Ranma? What are you trying to prove?"

He slowly clenches his fists: "I want to protect you Hotaru but…" he trails off and there seems to be a flash of anger shooting through his body. "Why am I so weak?!" He sounds disgusted with himself.

Hotaru feels the frustration welling up inside of her and goes up behind Ranma, She covers his bleeding knuckles with her own hands and heals them "Ranma you idiot… how can you protect anybody if you keep hurting yourself like this?"

Ranma's body seems to slump as Hotaru finishes healing him.

Hotaru: "I… want to help you Ranma."

Ranma is silent for a long while and then says "Hotaru… thanks." He walks away, letting her hands slip off of his.

Hotaru: "I'm right here Ranma! I'm safe! Because of you…"

Ranma: "No… it's not me." He walks away.

Chibi-Usa watches, feeling terrible for both her friends.

Hotaru Nightmare

That night Hotaru dreamed about not being able to reach Ranma again. But when she woke up, her room was dark and there was nobody waiting for her downstairs. This time, he wasn't here.

Haruka and Michiru

Haruka and Michiru watch Hotaru walk into campus at Mugen. Haruka says there's definitely something about her. She was able to stop that daimon.

Michiru: And yet you say Ranma blames himself for losing that fight. The two have separated now?

Haruka: Maybe it's better this way…

Michiru: Do you really believe that? Their lives have become so entwined.

Haruka sighs: Yes… but do they know that?

Minako and Ranma at Lunch

Minako doesn't know what to make of this situation. From what Chibi-Usa had told her she had expected to see a depressed Ranma or actually not see him at all, but the Ranma here was exactly the same as before… no, if anything he was even cockier than before.

Ryoga: "Damn you Ranma! First you stop walking me to school, then you get beaten by some monster, then you ditch school, make Hotaru sad, and now you steal my lunch?!"

Etsuya and Mitsuo are standing there looking worried. Ryoga and Ranma's relationship hadn't been this bitter since they first met. Osamu and Takeru add that it hadn't been this funny since then either.

Ranma calmly counters each one of Ryoga's complaints while eating the lunch.

Minako is irked when Ranma says he saw Hotaru yesterday and that she was fine. "Ranma you idiot!"

Ranma is surprised to see Minako getting angry at him. "Don't you know how worried Hotaru is about you?"

Ranma looks quizzical but for a moment she sees a flash of… guilt, sadness, frustration? Cross his eyes. "Well I'm fine so tell her not to, geez."

Ryoga and Minako grab him by his collar. "Why don't you tell her yourself?!"

Etsuya and Takeru go up to him and suggest that maybe he should.

Ranma eeps that he can't breathe, waving his arms around frantically and they drop him down.

Suddenly he's surrounded by his other classmates who demanded to know where he was yesterday. Takeru suggest that maybe he had actually been making out with Hotaru yesterday. The others demand to know why they hadn't been introduced to this girl yet, was it the same one he ditched school to see those other times?

Ranma asks what the heck they were talking about? He just ditched school to get some time to think, that was all!

Suddenly a teacher appears and asks him to repeat where he had been.

Ranma sweat drops, says "uh..." and then points at Ryoga. Everybody looks at Ryoga who says "huh?"

Ranma runs away.

Detention

Ranma has detention. He had tried to get away but the entire faculty had joined in on chasing him down. He had been caught, chewed out and given detention for a week (as much for trying to get away as anything).

They had even brought Ryoga in for questioning about those previous times him and Ranma had disappeared during lunch but he had gotten off claiming he had been lost as usual. Ranma, however, had gotten another week tacked onto his sentence, partially for insulting the vice principal. His father had also been notified and he was sure the old man would chew him out too.

Minako appears, apologizing for dropping the flower pot on his head while trying to help him escape. Ranma rubs his head and says she just better not do it again.

She asks about the daimon fight he is defensive. She asks if he was going to go to the study session today. He hesitates. She says Hotaru probably wanted to talk to him. He finally says you guys don't need me there and besides I have detention. Minako says he can come afterwards! He says there's no point in coming for just a bit anyway, he'll see them later.

Minako is irritated. He had detention for two weeks! Was he just going to ignore them for two weeks? She sighs and says that today even while he was running so desperately to escape the teachers, he hadn't once tried to leave the school. She quotes "He who runs away from his heart is a fool, but he who runs around it is twice the fool."

Ranma: "Who the heck said that?"

Minako sighs, frustrated. "That's not the point!" She starts to leave and Ranma is startled. "You're leaving?" Minako: "Yeah, why not since you want to be alone so much!" She waits a second for a response but gets non and leaves.

Ranma is left feeling sad and lonely but covers it up.

Going Home to a Fight

Ranma goes home and is reinvigorated by a fight with Genma though he is lectured in between blows: "How do you ever expect to become strong at this rate? Skipping training and now even school!" Ranma grins and fights. This was something he was used to.

On the Roof

Ranma is sprawled on the apartment roof drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It is dark and he had just been soundly beaten though he had given Genma a few good thumps to think about. It had been good to clear his mind and just put everything into swinging his fists. Fear, anger, frustration… everything.

Ranma watches Genma search for something under the helicopter (who knew there was one up here? He wondered if it belonged to Haruka).

Genma throws Ranma some food and a thermos. Ranma is surprised. "You planned this out? Getting me up here and everything?" Ranma flashes back to the dangerous ascent up the side of the building.

Genma grins: "Of course! You didn't think I was actually running from you did you?"

Ranma thinks: "… so you predicted I would kick your ass and make you run up here like that?"

Genma groans and throws his food at Ranma who grabs it and hops away laughing. "Thanks pops!" He instantly bites into it. "Ouch! It's as hard as rock!"

Genma laughs and beans Ranma in the face with another hard piece of bread. "Foolish boy, you've still got a lot to learn!" He sweeps Ranma and sits on him.

Ranma: "Dammit old man get off of me! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Genma laughs: "You sure sound like one!"

Genma and Ranma Talk

Ranma and Genma are sitting on the edge of the roof eating. Ranma had finally gotten free by hooking Genma's legs with his own.

Ranma enjoys the moment and reflects on how he had never really been alone in the past 10 years, except… Nekoken flashes across his mind followed by images of Hotaru.

Ranma: "Hey pops… how'd I do today?" Genma: "Still got a long way to go boy."

Ranma: "Yeah… I guess you're right."

Genma is surprised at the passive response. "But you've been improving a lot boy. These past few months you've progressed much faster than I anticipated."

Ranma is shocked at the compliment: "R-Really?"

Genma hmphs, nods slightly and looks away. After watching the sky a bit, Ranma says "Hey pop…? Thanks."

Genma says nothing, gets up pats Ranma's head, smiles briefly and leaves. "Get some sleep Ranma."

As Genma walks away Ranma sees his father as he saw him when he was a little kid and forgets to respond. Ranma stares as Genma walks away. Walk away… why didn't he say anything? He wanted to. Just like then (Nekoken)… just like… (Hotaru). Ranma shakes his head clear and goes to sleep.

Chapter 29

Hotaru at School

Hotaru is at school looking out the window feeling lonely. The isolation in class was really starting to get to her again now that Ranma was also seemingly gone. Hotaru reminisces and thinks about the times Ranma appeared at lunch. They felt so long ago now.

Walking Home with Chibi-Usa

Hotaru is leaving school. She hears her last name called but it's somebody else. But then Chibi-Usa appears. The two walk and talk. Hotaru asks if she's a bad friend because Ranma doesn't seem to want to talk to her. He said he wanted to protect her but she just didn't understand what that meant anymore.

Chibi-Usa tries to reassure Hotaru. Next time she sees Ranma she should try as hard as she could to make him talk and not take no for an answer.

Hotaru smiles at Chibi-Usa. "Thank you Chibi-Usa… but I don't think I'm strong enough for that…"

Hotaru starts to have an attack. They have been becoming more common lately. She looked at Chibi-Usa and suddenly the old fears begin to crop up and she's worried about hurting Chibi-Usa. She didn't want to hurt her too, like with Ranma… she starts to push Chibi-Usa away but then the attack passes.

Chibi-Usa is worried. Hotaru says ruefully. "I'm so weak Chibi-Usa… at everything. It's no wonder Ranma…" she trails off. She wondered if she was even strong enough to cry anymore.

Chibi-Usa shakes her head. "No! That's not true! Come on, lets go to the shrine! Maybe he came today!"

Hotaru doesn't think so but she's touched to have a friend like Chibi-Usa.

Hotaru Without Ranma

Hotaru arrives at the shrine. As usual she seeks out and looks at Minako who shakes her head. Hotaru is a disappointed but then she had been expecting such news anyway. She had gotten used to it.

She starts talking to Ryoga and he tells her about Ranma, knowing that Hotaru liked hearing about him and his fights and what he did.

After a bit they get down to studying but Hotaru's thoughts are still on Ranma throughout the whole day. Chibi-Usa watches her sadly.

Hotaru's Attacks

Hotaru enters her house and has another seizure. Twice a day… it hadn't been that bad in a while… a few weeks ago she had been going several days without any in fact.

Kaolinite comes in just as she recovers and scolds Hotaru for putting herself at risk like this.

Hotaru tells her to mind her own business.

Kaolinite wonders where "that boy" went. Maybe he finally listened to her advice. Hotaru is outraged: "What did you say to Ranma?"

Kaolinite: "My, what a scary face. All I told him is the truth: that you needed a friend."

Hotaru is shocked: "I… I don't believe you!" She turns and runs to her room. Kaolinite's words had struck her. "Ranma… you're my friend right? So why…? Why…?"

She looked at the phone and almost reached for it but then pulled back and curls up. "I feel sick." She said into the darkness. But nobody heard her, and nobody spoke back.

Chapter 30

Ranma in Detention

Ranma is in detention but Etsuya and a few others are with him. It's been about a week.

He perks up as Minako comes in and greets her enthusiastically. They talk about why the others are in detention. They talk about his training and then about Hotaru (they hadn't had time to talk at lunch). Minako says Hotaru and Chibi-Usa have been becoming really good friends. Ranma says that's great. Minako then says she better go before Ryoga got lost. Ranma says alright, bring that idiot in next time too. Minako says she will and leaves, wondering why there was never a teacher in here.

Sparring [Genma's POV]

Ranma spars with Genma and is scolded for being so tense and distracted and making sloppy mistakes. Genma notes that it was even easier than usual to taunt Ranma… had been for a week actually. Genma tests his taunts and after a while stops the fight in disgust and lectures Ranma. Ranma, surprisingly, takes it. Asks Genma about when he beat that daimon. Genma thinks is this what's been bothering him?

Ranma tells Genma that he's fought some more of them and that he lost.

Genma is shocked but regains his composure and tells Ranma that he beats monsters the same way he beats him, which was not what Ranma was doing right now! Stop being so stupid and think with your head!

Ranma is chastened and nods. Genma tells him to get some food, they're done for the day.

Nekoken Hallucination

Ranma tries to sleep but has Nekoken hallucinations in his dark room. Finally, he stumbles out of his room, the cats chasing him. [Focus on his irrational fear]. He sees Genma's room and wants to go in but is too scared and instead goes a window. As soon as the cold air hits him, he feels better. He begins to fall down but grabs the ledge before he does (make it look like he was going to fall to his death). He hangs there and chuckles madly as the imaginary cats chasing him fall all around him. "Stupid cats… go to hell… stupid cats…"

Genma and Ranma [Genma's POV]

Genma is on the roof and turns as Ranma appears and asks what he was doing up here. Ranma says he couldn't sleep and had decided to go up for some air. What about him, he had heard some voices?

Genma glances around at the shadows and says he had just been talking to himself, he needed some air too. He takes a closer look at Ranma under the moonlight. The boy looks like hell. Genma asks if he was alright.

Genma sees a childlike flash of happiness come across Ranma at the question which just as quickly passes away. Genma feels a sudden stab of guilt. This kind of behavior was at least partly due to him.

Ranma says he's fine and goes sit on the side of the roof. Genma is a little nervous. It looks as if Ranma is barely hanging on for some reason. Genma joins Ranma after glancing around one more time.

Ranma says the sky is nice tonight.

Genma says yes, he wished he could see the stars better though…"

Ranma: "Like when we were on the road together…" Ranma finishes.

Genma doesn't say anything and sits there for a while with his son.

Finally Ranma asks about the Nekoken. Genma gets up and turns Ranma around telling him firmly, "Listen to me Ranma… that was a mistake okay? A mistake."

Ranma looks away. "Because I messed up… I couldn't do it pops, I lost…" Ranma grits his teeth, biting back tears. "If I had just been stronger…"

He looks at his hands, disgusted to see that even just thinking about it they shook.

Genma is shocked. They had rarely ever talked about the Nekoken before and when they had it had been Ranma getting angry at him for it. He had thought that meant Ranma had the right mindset about it but now… had he always thought like this?"

Genma: "Look at me Ranma," he lifts Ranma's head up. "It isn't always about winning and losing, it's about doing the right thing, and that day I did the wrong thing. Do you understand me? The Nekoken was a mistake, not something you were meant to beat."

Ranma is silent and looks away. He finally gets up and starts walking away from Genma. "But… I should be strong enough to overcome other people's weaknesses." It sounded like he was thinking of something else now and before Genma could say anything, Ranma had disappeared into the darkness.

Genma is silent for a long time until Setsuna finally appears. "Just what did you do to him Genma?"

Genma is silent. "Like I said, a mistake."

Chapter 31

Morning Spar

Ranma is sparing in the morning with Genma. It's been 2 days since the rooftop talk and Ranma is now more focused but still making stupid mistakes… like this one. Genma pops a guillotine as Ranma charges at him.

Ranma gives up and then heads off to school.

Genma watches him and wonders if he's still hiding something/torturing himself.

Detention with Minako

Ranma is in detention and Minako is talking to him about how the room seems to be completely unregulated. She wonders why people would bother coming in at all. Ranma misses the suggesting. Minako says "It's like people here wanted to punish themselves." Ranma shrugs, that could be. Minako smacks her forehead and looks at Ranma pointedly: "No man is a prison Ranma." Ranma blinks. "Are you trying to quote someone again?"

Minako sighs and asks why he isn't playing cards with the others. Ranma blanches and he says he was. His classmates holler at him to come back and lose some more money to them. Ranma threatens to beat them up. They laugh and go back to playing. Minako giggles: "Don't like losing huh Ranma?"

Ranma snaps back: "I'm not a loser!"

Minako is taken aback and changes the subject, telling them about the study sessions and the fun things they've been doing. Ranma asks if Hotaru's okay.

Minako: (teasingly) Are you worried about her Ranma?

Ranma says it's just because she's so sickly that's all.

Minako rolls her eyes. "She asks about you a lot you know?"

Ranma tries to play it off but keeps asking about Hotaru. Minako says why doesn't he just see her? He says he's too busy. She asks why he doesn't call her then? Ranma makes up some excuse and asks why should he anyway?

Minako sighs: "Because she misses you, idiot."

Ranma: "Huh?"

Minako: "Never mind!" She leaves. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Walking Home Alone

Ranma is walking home alone. He didn't know why it felt so strange. When he thought about it he had done it often when he first came to Juuban. And he walked by himself on the road a lot didn't he? He thinks about the times he walked somewhere with his friends and Hotaru. He shakes his head. It's not like they needed him to walk them around… or he needed them to he added as an afterthought. Ranma forces his composure back and keeps on walking.

Training Ends Early

Ranma is finishing his fight with Genma and the two take a break. Ranma stares at the setting sun and thinks about the others. They should almost be done studying by now. Pretty soon they'd probably go out to eat or watch a movie or something. He felt a pang of loneliness.

Genma decides to end training for the day though Ranma protests.

Genma says Ranma's too distracted anyway, why doesn't he go see his friends or something?

Ranma feels a pang of guilt as Genma says that, remember the daimon's words "You're a bad friend!" But he looks over the roof in the direction of the shrine.

Genma puts his hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Go on son, you need it."

To the Shrine?

It's night and Ranma is walking to the shrine, not quite sure what he's doing [focus on Ranma's insecurities about his friendships]. Ryoga would probably attack him etc. and Hotaru…

He clears his head and continues walking, taking his time. Nonetheless, the walk ends all too quickly and soon he finds himself up the steps to the shrine (he doesn't even take the bus) and standing in the yard where he and Ryoga has fought so many times.

He sees the others all inside talking with each other and laughing. They're having fun, just like they always did… without him. He goes closer and sees Hotaru laughing and smiling. It's could outside and a part of him wants to go in and join the laughter and warmth. He starts to take a step towards the shrine. He could go in, say something cocky and sit down next to Hotaru, and it'd be just like nothing had ever happened right?

But somehow the thought of that didn't satisfy him. Just like before… but that… that didn't change anything did it? He turns around starts walking away.

Hotaru Goes Out

Hotaru feels an attack. It wasn't bad but… it passes and she excuses herself for some air. Chibi-Usa offers to go out with her but she says it's okay, she needs a bit of time alone too.

She walks outside and reflects. The past week had been fun… she was glad to have so many good friends. She thought maybe that was why though she had been having so many seizures lately, they hadn't been too bad.

She thinks back to Makoto and Kakusui. It was true, you couldn't live alone. She thinks about Ranma and is sad. Then she thinks she sees Ranma. A flash of red by the stares. She blinks. Wishful thinking? So many times she had thought maybe he would suddenly just appear again. It was foolish maybe and yet… it had happened often enough before that she kept hoping.

Feeling a little foolish, she went to the stairs. She looks down and thinks she sees a figure wearing red turn the corner. That was too real. Ranma? It had to be! She ran down as fast as she could, spun around the corner and… nothing.

She is crestfallen. Stupid… of curse he wouldn't be there. You're imagining things again. She looks down the street: empty and dark. Yet she wasn't scared. They had walked down the street together so many times before.

She goes down the street a bit, reminiscing. She looks at the fence. She remembers the time they had walked on it together and he promised to catch her if she fell. She smiles. That Ranma…

On a whim she decides to climb up on the fence and walk on it. With an effort she gets up and spreading her arms out she slowly walks across. She closes her eyes and imagines that Ranma's there with her.

All of a sudden she has another attack and starts to fall.

Ranma catches her.

They look at each other, Hotaru staring at Ranma's face framed against the moonlight. Was he real? They're both quiet, not sure what to say. Finally, Ranma says "What the heck were you thinking, getting up on that fence with nobody around?!"

Hotaru smiles ecstatically and hugs Ranma. "You came Ranma! You really came, just like you promised!"

Ranma is tense but slowly returns the hug.

Walking Together

The two are walking, Ranma on the fence again. They talk about what they've been doing and then are quiet. Hotaru glances at Ranma. She had waited what felt like so long for this and now that he was here she wasn't sure what to say. She fiddles with the side of her skirt and thinks about what Chibi-Usa had said.

Finally she brings up the night of the daimon fight and says what she said then is still true. Ranma stops and Hotaru turns looking at him. He seems to be in pain and she reaches out to him again.

"Ranma… let me help you, like you helped me."

Ranma watches Hotaru's face, all the other faces he had seen of hers flashing through his mind. He raises one of his hands just slightly, but then finally he sees her pained face from the daimon fights and he drops his hand and turns away.

Hotaru feels like she had just been stabbed in the chest. "Ranma… don't you trust me?"

He mutters back "I do Hotaru but… I just gotta do this on my own."

Hotaru drops to her knees, feeling like crying. She sees Ranma hurting himself so much. He used to let her heal him so why now, why… "Why won't you let me help you?" But he was already gone.

Ranma and Haruka

Ranma is pounding on a punching bag on the roof when Haruka appears. She says she was wondering what that noise was. She says she didn't think it could've been that he had dragged that bag all the way up to the roof and was pounding on it in the middle of the night. Ranma doesn't say anything

Haruka comments that that's a nice rhythm he's making. The sounds are almost… melancholy.

Ranma stops and looks at his fists. "That? The truth is I couldn't sleep so I just started pounding this bag as far away from everything as I could get. I really… had no idea what I was doing."

Haruka flips Ranma a penny. "Penny for your thoughts?" and explains what the phrase means. Ranma asks if Haruka always walked around with foreign coins in her pocket. Haruka smiles and says "No, just tonight." "So what's on your mind Ranma?"

Ranma turns away and mutters nothing. Haruka says he's a very bad liar.

Ranma stammers a "Hey! I'm not a liar!"

Haruka says something was obviously bothering him. That look on his face and the melancholy rhythm of his fists said it, even if he wouldn't"

Ranma is silent. The truth is he doesn't really know what to say. He was so confused right now with so many conflicting feelings and emotions.

Haruka says "It's okay if you don't want to talk to me Ranma, but a real man should at least be sure of his own feelings. You are a man aren't you Ranma?" She walks off.

Ranma is half confused and half angry. "H-Hey, I am a man damn it!"

Haruka laughs and waves a hand back. "Prove it! Try telling someone, maybe yourself, how you feel!"

Ranma looks down at his hands but can't come up with a reply. "I feel… I feel…" he doesn't know.

Chapter 32

Hotaru and Usagi

Hotaru is walking to school when Usagi appears. She says she was worried because Hotaru didn't go to the study session yesterday (though it was probably for the best since they had another daimon attack and had to leave Ryoga at the shrine). Hotaru says yeah, she wasn't feeling well.

Usagi asks if it was because she saw Ranma the other day.

Hotaru nods: "Yeah…"

Usagi: "And…?"

Hotaru: "He… I don't know Usagi, he says he wants to protect me but he won't tell me anything and now he won't even see me."

Usagi nods and recounts her similar experience with Mamoru. Hotaru is shocked. They were such a loving couple!

Usagi explains that Mamoru had been trying to protect her too and he had been doing what he really thought was best and didn't realize he was hurting her badly.

Hotaru asks what she did. Usagi says exactly what Hotaru was doing, and she regrets it. She should've really tried to get through to Mamoru, with all her strength.

They reach the school. Usagi says but either way, thins would work out so don't worry. Hotaru watches Usagi leave thoughtfully and then goes to school.

Hotaru and Classmates

[Do a brief overview of Hotaru's shitty day at school]

A classmate with an injury is brought in by friends. They don't want to tell anybody what happened because they were sneaking around in one of the off limits areas of Mugen.

Hotaru thinks about what Usagi said and is reminded of Ranma. As she watches them panicking she goes up and forcefully heals the student.

She goes back to her seat after she's done, ignoring everybody and thinking she has to see Ranma again.

Minako Visits Ranma

Minako visits Ranma in detention. He's alone today and also very distracted. She calls him several times before he responds. He looks up and says "Hey Minako, Ryoga's not here today?

Minako sheepishly admits that she lost him but she's sure he'll turn up soon.

Ranma: "Will he?"

Minako: "Yeah, he always does."

Ranma is silent and Minako asks if he's alright. He doesn't seem to be paying attention. She finally shouts and he jumps back to reality, asks what?

Minako repeats the question and he says he's fine

Minako says "You don't look fine. You've been distracted like this for the past two days!"

Ranma: "Oh."

Minako sighs and leans back. "Ranma, what's wrong? What's been bothering you? Not just today, I mean for the past two weeks."

Ranma doesn't say anything.

Minako: "I'm your friend Ranma, I just want to help you."

Ranma looks at Minako thinking about Hotaru and seeing her asking him the same question.

Minako: "Is it about Hotaru?"

Ranma finally asks "Minako, do you think…" He struggles for the right words, "Do you think I'm strong?"

Minako senses that this is not the usual male testosterone pissing contest and says "Of course Ranma. You've fought daimons with your bare hands, of course I think you're strong."

Ranma: "Then why do I fail so much?"

Minako is dumbstruck. Fail? At what? His grades?! No way, he wasn't that sensitive. "Fail at what Ranma?"

Ranma: "Never mind Minako, forget it."

Minako: "Ranma…"

Ranma: "Sorry Minako, but could you leave me alone for a while? I need… to figure out some stuff."

Minako okays and leaves

Ranma: "Minako?" She turns around to see Ranma smiling an unusual grateful smile. It just looked so odd on him. But it was rather cute. "Thanks for visiting me all the time, I appreciate it."

Minako smiles back, surprised but pleased: "No problem. I can't let Hotaru have all the fun." She winks and leaves.

Ranma: "Hotaru…"

Meeting Setsuna

Ranma is sparring with Genma. He isn't thinking of anything except to swing his fists, lashing out. His body is tired but he just pushes on, taking any opening, fighting crazy.

Finally Genma dodges and trips him, nearly sending him falling off the side of the roof. But before he falls, Genma grabs the back of his shirt. He snaps out of his daze, staring down the long drop, breathing heavily.

Genma pulls him back saying "Try thinking a little bit when you fight boy… and pay a little more attention to your surroundings."

Ranma nods, swallowing. With that momentum, if Genma hadn't caught him… he probably wouldn't have made it. He had really been throwing his punches… would've thrown them right to his death.

Setsuna appears, clapping. "It still never ceases to amaze me to hear those words coming from you Genma Saotome."

Genma turns and grins. "Are you clapping for me?"

Setsuna smiles. "That is a distinct possibility. But more likely…" she looks at Ranma with her piercing eyes.

Regaining his breathe, Ranma looks back at her, feeling a little uncomfortable. She seemed a little familiar though, and he feels as if he's seen her somewhere before. "You know this lady pops?"

Genma nods: "This is Setsuna Meioh, an old friend of mine and our host here."

Ranma thinks, "host?" So this was how Genma had gotten the apartment. Now that he thinks about it, the building was named after her too!

Setsuna smiles, "and you must be the prodigal son of whom Genma speaks so highly, Ranma Saotome."

Ranma blinks and looks at Genma. "Say what? I think you got the wrong guy lady."

Genma smacks his forehead sighing.

Setsuna's Apartment

The three are inside Setsuna's apartment now and Ranma is watching the fish in the giant Aquarium that served as the wall in amazement. He had no idea something like this could've been here! Who knew… a whole other world right here above his head every time he went to bed.

Setsuna asks if he likes it and he says he does and wonders if he can go swim in it someday. He imagines himself chasing after the fish inside.

Setsuna laughs. "You're just like your father, always so curious."

Genma says "I never had a stupid idea like that…"

Ranma looks at Genma. Well… it was true, he was really curious. But usually about things that got them into trouble.

Asks "So you said you knew my old man back when he was still training?"

Setsuna nods but says lets go sit down for some tea and they could talk more about it then.

Setsuna's Talk

Ranma leans back into the couch and takes a long sip of tea.

Then he devourers a bunch of the cookies there and drinks some more tea. He sighs, feeling refreshed and looks around. The room was… a lot like theirs actually. Large and spacious with beautiful modern furniture and decoration. He guessed she must have decorated both places.

Setsuna comments that he eats like his father as well.

Genma, who's eating normally for a change, asks if she thought there was something they weren't alike in."

Setsuna says "Well… Ranma is quite a bit more handsome."

Ranma points out that's not that much of a compliment. And they both laugh at Genma who rolls his eyes. "Just wait till you lose your hair too boy."

Setsuna says "So Ranma, I hear you are a very accomplished martial artist."

Ranma says he's sure she didn't hear it from Genma.

Setsuna smiles. "Let's just say a little bird told me… a bald one."

Ranma hesitates only for a second before saying. "I'm only the best."

Genma sighs. "Didn't I teach you any humility boy?"

Setsuna: "You should teach it to yourself while you're at it."

Genma: "This from the girl who claimed to know everything, for a price?"

Ranma snickers. He liked this lady. He enjoyed how she kept jabbing at Genma. It was strange and yet very nice to see the two like this.

Setsuna turns back to Ranma. "I like how you were fighting earlier… you fought with a lot of heart-"

"And no brain" Genma Cuts in.

"And passion," Setsuna continues. "It was a beautiful rhythm."

Ranma is silent, thinking back to what Haruka had said. He had just been throwing his fists blindly again.

Ranma: "… No, pops is right. I was just swinging my fists without thinking. It was… stupid."

Setsuna: "I never said it was good fighting. I just liked how you were able to transfer the feelings within your heart into your fists."

Ranma blinks. That… was what he had been doing? He looks at his hands.

Setsuna: "Sometimes though, it's better to put what you're feeling into words. That's a lesson that too your father quite a while to learn as well." She glances at him. "I fear he may have learned it a little too well now."

Genma snorts. "There's no pleasing you Setsuna."

Ranma thinks about what Setsuna said. Words, fists… he thinks about him trying to reach out to Hotaru, Minako and then his reckless fighting.

Setsuna asks "Ranma, is there someone you want to protect?"

Genma: "Setsuna…"

Ranma looks up, caught in Setsuna's eyes and lured in by her words. Almost imperceptibly, he nods.

Setsuna: "You cannot protect somebody when you're not there for her. Genma should be able to tell you that as well."

Genma: "That's enough Setsuna! You know there's more to it than that!"

Setsuna: "I was referring to your son Genma, not you."

Ranma isn't paying attention anymore, however. He's just staring at his fists and thinking of Hotaru.

Ranma Needs to Talk

Ranma can't sleep. Not because of the shadows but because of what Setsuna said. He is so confused right now, he needed to clear his thoughts somehow, talk to someone.

He gets up and goes to Genma's room. The old man is sleeping. He pulls a blanket over Genma and then goes out to the living room, onto the glass balcony door. What a lovely city. He decides he needs some air and goes change so he can go outside.

Ranma Wanders

Ranma is wandering the city, thinking. The darkness suited him and his mood but the calm didn't reflect his inner confusion at all. He ends up at Ryoga's house as he's been walking his routine route unconsciously and decides to try talking to him.

Ranma Enters the Room

Ranma climbs through the window and goes to wake up Ryoga who immediately attacks him. They brawl for a bit without Ranma yelling at him to stop. The fight ends in some comical fashion [Make one up].

Talking with Ryoga

Ranma is on the roof with Ryoga. He explains he needed somebody to talk to. Ryoga is surprised but also a little touched that Ranma chose him.

Ranma says it's just because he was the nearest person though.

Ryoga for once doesn't retaliate and just snorts.

Ranma then asks Ryoga about how the past two weeks have been and Ryoga says hasn't Minako been telling him all about it?

Ranma says yeah but he wants to hear it from him. Ryoga says it's been nice. Not feeling lost and lonely every day, having a place to go to and friends to talk to… he guesses he has Ranma to thank for that.

Ranma: "Huh?"

Ryoga: "You were the one who introduced me to them…"

Ranma laughs, "I never thought I'd hear you thank me for anything."

Ryoga smiles, "Well don't let it get to your head, I still hate your guts."

Ranma rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure whatever."

Ryoga asks Ranma, "You're coming back right Ranma? After you're done with detention? You should be there too."

Ranma "Yeah, sure… why not?"

Ryoga is a little annoyed at Ranma's nonchalant behavior but says nothing.

After a while, Ranma asks "Hey Ryoga, why do we fight?"

Ryoga is about to quip that it's because Ranma was a jerk but realizes that he's serious, actually… not eve talking about them two. He thinks and says "Maybe because… that's all we can do. That's the only way we know how to deal with things?"

Ranma: "Is it wrong?"

Ryoga: "I don't know… but definitely, it doesn't always work."

The two stare up at the sky, and it stared back at them: two Lost Boys.

Chapter 33

Last Day of Detention

It is Ranma's last day of detention and he is by himself again after losing at cards too much. He stares outside the windows and wonders what now. He wonders where Minako is and sighs. She said she'd see him today but she hadn't shown up so far. He hadn't even seen Ryoga today. He wondered where they were and what they were doing, all of them. He… missed them. Ranma glances around nervously as if somebody might've heard his thought. There, he had said it. But… that wasn't all of it was it? There was something broiling inside of him bothering him. He sees flashing images of cats and suddenly he felt like he didn't want to see them again. Almost like… he was afraid.

"Hi Ranma..."

Ranma turns around to see Hotaru smiling softly at him. His heart skips a beat as he sees her face framed in the sunlight [picturesque moment TM]. "Hotaru! What're you doing here?!" How did she get here for that matter, he didn't remember ever showing her his school. He glances out the door and thought he saw a flash of golden hair.

Hotaru looks down and then back at Ranma. "I thought you might be hungry and since today's your last day of detention I thought I'd make you something."

Ranma's nose finally detects the aroma of food and his stomach growls. Hotaru giggles at the sound. "Still the same Ranma?" Somehow there seemed to be more to that question but before Ranma can think of an answer his classmates surround the two. None of his main friends where there but many of them remember Hotaru and start asking her questions, wondering if she was going out with Ranma now.

Hotaru looks embarrassed and says "No, that's not it…"

They see the bento and exclaim: "A home cooked meal made with love for you Ranma? Ranma you jackass! How can you reject a girl like this!?"

Ranma: "What the hell are you guys babbling about?!" He thinks he hears snickering outside the door but sees nothing.

Finally, one of the guys who hasn't met Hotaru says "Wait… is this the girl you're always ditching school to have sex with?"

Hotaru flushes red and looks like she going to faint. Ranma slams his foot into the guy's face and glares at the others who back off saying they were just kidding.

Ranma and Hotaru Talk

Ranma and Hotaru are by themselves in the class now. Etsuya had appeared from out of nowhere and ordered the rest of the class out. Most, or actually all of them were from class 3-D and had listened to the unofficial president of the class (they had been too lazy to have official elections). There were no teachers here so it didn't really matter that they were leaving early anyway.

The two converse and Hotaru gives Ranma the meal, saying Makoto actually helped her make it. She opens it and the savory smell hits Ranma full on. Hotaru tells him to go ahead and he does.

[WAFF scene] Ranma eats and Hotaru tells him to try various things.

Ranma looks up at Hotaru and he feels like there's a hole in him that she was filling up and he wanted to say something, but… what? Finally he says "Thanks for coming Hotaru."

Hotaru looks relieved and smiles beautifully. "You're welcome Ranma."

Leaving Detention

Ranma and Hotaru leave the classroom and see Ryoga, Minako and Etsuya waiting. "It's about time Ranma, what took you so long? I thought you were a fast eater."

Ranma: "You guys were waiting for me?"

Minako: "What? We can't wait for a friend to get out on his last day of detention?"

Ranma: "No, I mean…" he doesn't know what to say. A part of him had just instinctively gotten defensive, but…

Minako: "Sorry Ranma, we don't care if you're busy, you're going to go celebrate at the shrine with us, right Hotaru?"

Hotaru, surprisingly, nods emphatically. Ranma rubs the back of his head and shrugs. "Alright, sure. Whatever."

Minako grins. "Alright, let's go then. You do remember the way right?"

Ranma: "Who do I look like Ryoga?"

Hotaru watches as Ranma and Ryoga half-fight. Same old Ranma? But… that wasn't good either.

Heading to the Shrine

The group is walking to the shrine.

Ranma asks for help tutoring again, he had tried by himself in detention but it was really hard. Minako laughs, saying he had even asked her for help once.

Ranma says "Yeah, never tried that again…"

Etsuya asks why he didn't ask him for help and Ranma says he did but Etsuya had been too lazy except for that one time. Etsuya laughs, "oh yeah!"

Ryoga makes a boastful comment about his grade.

Hotaru says she'd love to help Ranma again.

Minako, Ryoga and Etsuya start comparing their grades.

Hotaru, after a bit asks Ranma if he's okay now.

Ranma is about to ask what she was talking about but admits he doesn't know, he's a little confused.

Hotaru stops, surprised that Ranma had said that much. She says her offer from before is still open and that she still wants to help him.

Ranma is hesitant.

Hotaru thinks about what Usagi said and remembers her classmates. "Why are you being so stubborn Ranma? You know… it hurts me too."

Ranma is shocked/speechless. He says "I… um…"

Hotaru says, "It's okay Ranma, take your time. I'm just glad you're back now."

Ranma nods hesitantly.

Hotaru takes Ranma's hands. Remember, I'm here for you." She smiles and Ranma slowly nods.

Suddenly, Minako screams.

Ranma and Hotaru look towards the others in front of them and see that Minako is on the ground, her bag knocked to the ground. Etsuya was standing protectively in front of her while Ryoga was on the ground struggling against a hooded, cloaked, daimon.

Mimete appears demanding to know what was going on. Stop playing around and get back to the professor already! Then she sees Ranma and Hotaru. "You two again! Kill those two!"

Ranma pulls Hotaru behind him as the daimon jumps at him.

Etsuya throws four knives at the daimon, two hit it and the others cause it to twist out of the way. As soon as it lands, Ranma shoulder rams it.

Ranma shouts "Thanks Etsuya, get Hotaru and Minako to safety!"

The daimon skids to a stop on all fours and Ranma dashes towards it as Ryoga gets up.

The two begin to fight with it and Ranma is disturbed because there's something very familiar about the daimon's movements.

At one point, Ryoga is in front and the daimon throws its cloak at Ryoga, blinding him, and then slashes him sending him to the ground.

Ranma sees that the daimon is a cat creature and falls back, beginning to panic. He sees cats everywhere and falls onto the ground. The next thing he feels is the cat on top of him and he screams.

Height of his Fear

Hotaru is horrified and runs up towards the daimon, but Minako pulls her back. Etsuya gets in front of them saying "Stay back!" He takes out more knives and throws them at the daimon. They hit it and it jumps off Ranma with a screech. The knives still sticking in it, he faces them and then the knives explode back towards them. Etsuya's eyes widen and he blocks the knives with his body, managing to get most of them on his arm though he falls back.

Minako and Hotaru: "Etsuya!"

Ryoga roars as he sees his friend go down and pushes himself up he starts to dash towards the daimon but it's already back on top of Ranma, who's screaming incoherently and Mimete shoots something at him which makes him dodge back. "No no," she says.

Minako looks around for her bag as the daimon starts licking Ranma's chest, causing him to convulse. Where was it?! She had to transform now!

Hotaru screams as Ranma suddenly becomes quiet and still. But… his crystal heart wasn't out yet?

Suddenly, the daimon flies into the air and lands several feet away, bleeding from several long cuts across its chest. Ranma is on all fours, hissing at the daimon, now in his cat form.

Neko Ranma kills the cat daimon and Mimete leaves, enraged and a little weirded out.

Post-Fight

Hotaru approaches Ranma, worried. She had watched in fascinated horror as he had killed the daimon acting like a cat. At first she thought he had been doing some strange fighting style but watching him lick his hands now, she realized it was more than that. She approaches, calling his name. He looks up but then hisses at something. She looks behind her. It's Ryoga, Etsuya and Minako. She realizes with a sudden shock that Etsuya still has four knives stuck in him and is leaning heavily against Minako. While Ryoga was bleeding across the chest.

She looks back at Ranma and he takes off. "Ranma!" She starts to go after it but then goes back and heals Etsuya and Ryoga. Etsuya is amazed that Hotaru had this power but Hotaru is impatient to leave. As soon as his wounds close, Hotaru starts running off after Ranma.

Etsuya starts to get up to say he'll go with her but falls to his knees. She says he's still too weak from the injuries and tells Minako to please take care of them and runs off.

Ranma Running

Ranma is running through the streets, scared of the people looking at him weird. He wanted to go somewhere safe.

Hotaru Finds Ranma

Hotaru is breathing heavily but pushing on. She had followed the trail of people who saw a weird boy running on all fours, realizing there was something very familiar about the path she was taking. As she reached the park she finally understood. Could it be… had he come back to that place?

She made her way to the lake where they had skipped stones and there was Ranma, drinking from the lake.

She is able to cautiously approach him and get him on her lap. She is shocked at his cat-like behavior. "Oh Ranma… what happened to you? Will you be alright?"

Nekoken flashback

Flashback of the Nekoken from Ranma's POV inside the hole with the cats. Focus on how he has to become a cat to escape the fear. Then focus on him smelling something safe and following that smell.

Hotaru Saves Ranma

Ranma wakes up on Hotaru's lap and jumps away. As he looks into her eyes he realizes what happens and he stumbles backwards. He stammers an apology and stares at the ground, his fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically. She can see in his eyes that lonely fear she had glimpsed so many times before.

Hotaru felt her doubt and fear well up within her as well. What… what should she do? Usagi and Chibi-Usa's words flash through her mind. "Ranma…" she says. He looks at her and she can see the flash of guilt and shame across his eyes before he looks away. Looks away… she knew what that mean, knew that he was going to close himself off and leave again, burry the pain deep inside of him. Just like… just like her.

Hotaru makes her decision. She takes a quick breathe and before he can react, takes two quick steps towards him and pulls him into her arms. "It's okay Ranma, just tell me what's wrong. I want to help you just like you helped me so please… just tell me what's wrong…" She sounded and felt desperate.

She pulls him in close. He felt so weak and fragile in her arms somehow, really like a scared little child. She held him tightly, refusing to let go and gradually, she felt his tense body start to relax, just a little. Finally he says "I'm scared of cats Hotaru… it's so stupid but… I'm so scared of them…"

She shakes her head, feeling both so happy and sad at the same time. That lost and confused hurt in his tone stabbed at her heart, but she was so glad he was finally telling her something, anything. No she said, it's not stupid at all, not stupid at all. She breathed in the scent of his unshed tears, his pain, his fears. She took it all into her, hoping that maybe she could help ease his burden just a little. He wouldn't tell her everything, maybe he wouldn't even tell her more than he had just right now. But it was okay, just as long as he knew that she was here for him, always.

Ranma's Party

Ranma and Hotaru enter the shrine and everybody surrounds them, wanting to know what had happened and if they were okay.

Ranma says yeah yeah, they were fine. Hotaru had found him.

Everybody looks at each other a little strangely at that but they decide not to press it and start the celebration.

Ranma devours the food happily and everybody is asking him about what he's been doing for the past two weeks.

Minako pulls Hotaru to a side to ask her if Ranma really was okay.

Hotaru watches Ranma and for a second they lock eyes, and Ranma smiles softly at Hotaru. A real genuine smile, not one of his cocky arrogant smirks or grins but a real, grateful smile that looked both so out of place and so fitting on his face.

"Yeah," Hotaru answers. "I think… I think he's going to be fine."

Chapter 34

Genma Sparring with Ranma

Genma is sparring with Ranma. Genma is surprised by Ranma's focus. He was still as dedicated as before but was much less tense and focused now, which improved his fighting ability. Genma wondered what had happened. It looked as if some great burden had been lifted from his shoulders and he was fighting… like he was really free.

Genma snaps out of his reverie as Ranma lands a hit. "Gotcha! Stop daydreaming old man!" Genma grunts, annoyed. He already knows Ranma's next attack and sends him flying.

Ranma rubs his head "Oww… damn, I almost had you!"

Genma snorts. "You're too predictable boy. I can read you like a book—you still have a million years to go before you can beat me!"

Ranma rolls his eyes. It was only because Genma knew him so well, that attack would've finished off anybody else.

Genma retorts that he's not anybody else and to get up and go again.

Ranma, to Genma's surprise, says he's gotta go. He wants to catch a fight with Ryoga. When Genma mentions breakfast, Ranma shows some bread and says he'll be fine and runs off.

Genma watches, wondering what had happened to Ranma. Before he would've kept attacking Genma until he said to stop.

Setsuna walks out and says Ranma looks really happy. She said she used to remember another young man who would run off to his friends like that after training.

Genma smiles and says "Yes, those were good times weren't they?"

Setsuna nods.

The two look where Ranma ran off and think the same thing: it was good… for a while.

Lunch at Shibakouen

It's lunch time at school. Minako is watching Ranma brag to Etsuya about his 18/25 on their last quiz. She approaches and asks "Bragging again Ranma?" Ranma boasts that it was the highest grade in the class. Etsuya points out that it's barely passing. Ranma asks what's he talking about? He got way more right than wrong. Minako laughs. "Not everything is like a fight, Ranma."

Ranma points to where Ryoga is brawling with a bunch of other students, yelling about who got the higher score.

Ranma grins: "Of course, he's also probably pissed that I got the bread."

Minako laughs. Guys… even though Ranma seemed so much more at ease lately, he was still the same. Ranma suddenly asks about the study session that day. Minako thinks "but very different nonetheless." Minako says: "Of course, the usual!"

Ranma asks if they were going to disappear again, like last time.

Minako asks what the problem was, didn't he enjoy the alone time with Hotaru?

Ranma points out that Ryoga, Mitsuo, Osamu and Etsuya were also there so it didn't really count as alone time. But he guesses she was a lot better company than the rest of them, especially Minako.

Minako twitches. Not only was he making some flustered denial but he was fighting back. This was just too weird. "What's that supposed to mean huh?"

Ranma: "Well, Hotaru's way smarter and nicer than you, and doesn't say weird stuff all the time, and she's not un-cute like you…" Ranma stops to look at Minako who's fuming and jumps back, sticking his tongue at her. "What? You wanna fight?"

Etsuya backs off.

"Sailor V kick!" Minako's surprisingly fast kick knocks Ranma to the ground. Minako gloats. "Don't underestimate me Ranma!"

Ranma: "Geez! I was just kidding… Ouch… that hurt…" Ranma fakes pain.

Minako comes up to him a little worried and he suddenly shoves a piece of cake into her face. He jumps back, laughing. "That's for pie-ing me at the festival!"

Etsuya sweatdrops. He didn't know Ranma held grudges like that.

Minako explodes and chases after Ranma who jumps on Ryoga and runs around yelling for people to help him.

Study Session

Ranma is at the study session at the shrine with the Senshi and Ryoga.

He asks: "Hotaru said she's coming right?" He felt a little weird not picking her up like he used to.

Minako looks up and is about to say something but glances at the others and grins. "What? Our company's not as good as Hotaru's?"

Ranma smirks. "Didn't we already talk about this?"

Minako: "Remind me."

Ranma pretends to think about it and then says no with a grin. Minako face faults.

Usagi leans forward conspiratorially and asks Hey Ranma… what do you like about Hotaru?" Makoto: "Yeah, what does she have that we don't? C'mon, give me some details."

Ranma narrows his eyes suspiciously as he sees that glint in Usagi and Makoto's eyes. It was always weird when they were like this. Actually, he felt some sort of trap coming on. When it was just one person, like Minako, it was okay. But now it seemed like all of them were in on this. Even Ryoga and Mitsuo was snickering to themselves in the corner over there.

He spins around and grabs the person who had been standing behind him and pins her to the ground. He blinks as Chibi-Usa yells at him to let her go. Hrm... that was weird, from how the others were acting he had been sure it was Hotaru sneaking up on him.

He ducks as a pillow suddenly swings over his head and spins on his heels around. He grins as he sees Hotaru tumbling to the ground with her own momentum, laughing. "Hah! I knew you were somewhere around here!" She sticks her tongue at him. "So what? Are you going do something about it?"

Three small pillows fly at him and he barely dodges them, rolling out of the way. Who the heck? He turns back to the group and sees Etsuya crouching on the other side of the room grinning at him.

Usagi shouts: "Pillow fight!" and suddenly everybody is attacking each other with pillows.

Sunset

Ranma and Hotaru are walking on a fence home. Hotaru is leading, taking steady but careful steps with her arms spread out. The study session had ended well and they had all departed early, so the sun was only just now setting. Occasionally, Hotaru would try to spin around and stumble a little, and Ranma would steady her, scolding her for being so reckless. But she would she got it from him so he should take responsibility.

The two are talking about their fathers and Hotaru is very happy that Ranma was opening up to her. The past few days he had been so forthcoming with her… always alone though. Hotaru paused and smiled as she thought about it. Maybe it was a little selfish but she felt special… that she was the one who Ranma could be like this with.

Ranma shouts something. Hotaru snaps back to reality. "I'm sorry, what did you say Ranma?"

Ranma: "Ah, nothing… the sun's just getting in my eyes. It's reflecting off this river or whatever."

Hotaru turns and sees the canal. She had passed by it so often before but today she was struck by its beauty, sparking under the setting sun. "Hey Ranma, can we stop for a bit?"

Ranma: "Huh? Sure, are you tired?"

Hotaru shakes her head as she stares at the river. "I just want to watch the river for a bit with you… is that okay?" She felt a bit of her old self—the scared, insecure little girl peeping about in the last question. She already knew what Ranma would say, even if he might try to cover it up in a bluff.

He didn't however, and simply said "Sure," and sat down, facing the river.

Hotaru smiled and sat down next to him. They watch in comfortable silence. Hotaru is feeling very content. She looks at Ranma and is shocked to see he seems sad now. "Ranma?"

Ranma says "The sun's going to be gone in a little bit… I never really liked the dark."

Hotaru sees that look come over Ranma's eyes again. The fear, the loneliness, and she knew he was thinking about "that". The Nekoken. "You know," she says, "I used to be very scared of the dark too…."

He didn't protest that he wasn't scared of the dark and she felt special again. She hadn't meant to let that slip out even though she knew Ranma was thinking about something he was deathly afraid of.

"Used to?" he asks her.

"Look around you Ranma…" Ranma looks at Hotaru. "Even though it's so close to being dark… there's still so much light everywhere." As she finished the sun reached a position where somehow, all of the light suddenly shone on Hotaru, lighting her up like some beautiful vision. Ranma watched, feeling himself become warm all over as he watched Hotaru's face seem to glow with light as she stared off at the river, smiling. She looked at him "Hey Ranma… life is beautiful isn't it?"

Ranma slowly nods and smiles. "Yeah." He turns back to the river and watches it sparkle

Hotaru's eyes linger on him for a second before she too turns back to the river. She hadn't said anything about it to him, but when the sun eventually had to slip below the horizon… he was her light then. She hoped she could be his too.

Chapter 35

Hotaru in Class

It is lunch time at Mugen and Hotaru is approached by the classmates she had healed last time. They ask her to heal one of their friends. Hotaru scolds them afterwards when they reveal that they had been trying to sneak into one of the research laboratory rooms by going through a window on the second floor. They laugh and apologize, feeling chastened but they had really wanted to peek into the room. There had been strange sounds coming from it all week. Hotaru is reminded of Ranma's own recklessness and smiles. The scene is overshadowed by the ominous feeling that the students were on to something in their curiosity.

Walking Home

Hotaru is walking to the shrine after school.

Despite her wonderful friendships with the others, it still struck her when she left school so alone. But then the guy she had healed waves at her and told her to have a good weekend. She is startled but waves back. "Thank you, you too!"

Hotaru continues walking, feeling a little better. That was the first time in a long time somebody from her class had said something like that to her.

Suddenly she hears: "Damn you to hell Ranma Saotome! I'm going to kill you when I find you!"

Hotaru blinks and turns towards the voice. Those words to anybody else would've sounded threatening or alarming but… she smiles as she sees Ryoga crashing down the street. She calls to him, "Ryoga!" He stops. A dazed Chibi-Usa rolls off his back. "Ah… Hotaru… you saved my life…"

Hotaru sweatdrops.

Talk with Ryoga and Chibi-Usa

Hotaru is walking Ryoga and Chibi-Usa to the shrine. "Did you get lost Ryoga?"

Ryoga: "Hmph… it's all that idiot Ranma's fault. He ran away from our duel and then threw this little girl at me to confuse me so I'd get lost.

Hotaru giggles as she imagines that. It sounded very much like Ranma.

Chibi-Usa shakes her first from Ryoga's shoulder. "Hey! What're you laughing at? That wasn't all that fun you know?!"

Hotaru apologizes and says "That just sounded too much like Ranma."

Chibi-Usa rolls her eyes. "Always thinking about him aren't you Hotaru?" Hotaru doesn't say anything but continues walking, smiling.

Chibi-Usa whispers to Ryoga that she was completely oblivious. Ryoga nods. Chibi-Usa says "Just like you!" Ryoga picks Chibi-Usa up by her collar and glares at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Chibi-Usa laughs "Nothing! Nothing!"

Hotaru suddenly snaps back to reality. "What's going on you two?"

Ryoga drops Chibi-Usa and says nothing.

Chibi-Usa nods and they walk for a bit. Chibi-Usa asks "Hey Hotaru, are you and Ranma going out yet?"

Though she should've been used to questions like this with all the teasing, Hotaru still flushed a little at the thought of Ranma and her like that. "If you mean if we're a couple, no." Hotaru answers.

Chibi-Usa: "Why not? You like him don't you?"

Hotaru thinks. Like… like wasn't enough to describe how she felt when she thought about Ranma. First friend, only friend, best friend… the person who had been there for her, held her protected her, saved her from her own demons even if he didn't realize it. Like… no like wasn't a good enough word at all.

Ryoga: "Well that idiot definitely needs someone like you to keep him out of trouble anyway. You're really great to be able to keep that guy in check."

Hotaru smiles. "Thank you Ryoga."

Chibi-Usa: "Hey, you didn't answer my question Hotaru!"

Hotaru apologizes. "Yes," she says hesitantly. "I do like Ranma…"

Chibi-Usa: "So why aren't you two going out yet?"

Hotaru doesn't know. She doesn't really know what to do. Besides, she's happy with the way things were (being Ranma's confidant).

Ryoga: "What about your date tomorrow?"

Hotaru flushes: "It's not really a date…"

Chibi-Usa cuts in, "But it'll be just you and him…"

Hotaru: "And Usagi and Mamoru… and you're all still welcome to come.

Chibi-Usa and Ryoga laugh nervously and re-give their excuses. The truth was they had all met to discuss this and it had been decided that in order to facilitate Ranma and Hotaru's relationship, only couples should come. Vicious infighting had ruled out Ryoga and one of the Senshi as a couple however.

"Anyway…" Chibi-Usa continues. "You'll have plenty of time to work Ranma up…" she starts teasing Hotaru about the sexual things she could do. Hotaru teases her right back "Did you want to learn so you could seduce that pretty-girl tea boy?" Chibi-Usa: "Ack! That's low Hotaru!" Hotaru just laughs.

Chapter 36[see episode 116]

Arriving at the Clearing

Ranma, Hotaru, Usagi and Mamoru arrive at the clearing full of flowers from the anime.

Ranma is holding a huge picnic basket and eager to eat. He urges the others to hurry up because he's hungry. Usagi argues and Mamoru teases her. Ranma runs ahead yelling at them to hurry up, this was a good spot.

Hotaru smiles as she watches him run around. He was so excited, almost like a little kid… and so was she. She feels her chest, her heart is beating a little fast. The two of them, out in this beautiful, sun-swept field of shining grass and flowers… Hotaru flushes and thinks back to all those other times she had been alone with Ranma. None of those times had been just for its own sake. But now… they were here just for each other.

Usagi suddenly grabs Hotaru's hand and tells her to come on. Hotaru nods and is pulled along. Hotaru thinks that everybody here… was here for the other person.

The Picnic

Usagi is watching the others eat and is a little disappointed. She had expected Ranma and Hotaru to be making out by now but Ranma was just eating and seemed really curious about Mamoru. He kept asking him questions about college and such. Usagi pulled Mamoru a little closer to her, feeling a bit left out but Mamoru didn't seem to notice.

Usagi looks at Hotaru who is telling Ranma to try various things which he devours and says is good. Usagi frowns, she couldn't tell if Hotaru really was content like this or if she was holding it in.

Usagi swallows a slice of cake and then decides to go talk to Hotaru. She asks her if she's having fun, even though they weren't really doing anything. Hotaru says yes, she just enjoyed being here with everybody in such a beautiful, happy place. Usagi asks if she didn't wish she could do something with Ranma though. Hotaru looks at Ranma and her expression changes. "Maybe… just a little… but this is fine too Usagi, really!"

Usagi peers at Hotaru warily and then decides to play tag. She slaps Ranma on the back. "You're it!" She grabs Hotaru and runs off with her. "Come on Hotaru! We gotta run before he gets us!"

Ranma shouts out "Hey! Aren't we a little old to be playing tag?!"

Usagi shouts back "I guess maybe you are a little slow… old man!"

Usagi snickers and Hotaru can't help but giggle.

Mamoru shakes his head as Ranma jumps to his feet with a drumstick in hand. "Hey! Take that back!" Ranma cleans the drumstick off and then gives chase.

Usagi sees Ranma catching up and says "It's up to you Hotaru! You have to sacrifice yourself to save me!" and then gives her a shove towards Ranma.

Hotaru stumbles towards Ranma. It should have been easy for him to avoid and tag her or a million other things but instead he catches her and falls to the ground. She looks down at him, and he grins at her and says "you're it!"

Suddenly Usagi appears and pushes his head to the ground. "Operation successful! Good job Hotaru, now tag him back!" Hotaru does so and runs away, "you're it!"

Hotaru runs, feeling happy and like a kid again, feeling as if all those lost childhood memories she should've had were all rushing into her right now, at that very moment.

Tickling

Hotaru is laughing uncontrollably as Ranma tickles her. "I give up! I give up!"

Ranma grins and stops. Hotaru holds onto his hands as he pulls back, not wanting him to leave. He smirks down at her. "What, you want to fight?

Hotaru, with surprising skill, hooks one of Ranma's legs and, holding onto his hands, pushes him over. Now she is on top.

Ranma stares at her in shock. He doesn't know whether to ask how she could do that or if she really wanted to fight.

She sticks her tongue at him. "I had to learn something from watching you fight all the time, right?" He continues to stare, open-mouthed.

Hotaru giggles and rolls over until she's lying next to him, pressed against his side. She watches the clouds and the brilliant blue sky, enjoying the gentle breeze, the warm sun and Ranma's warmth. She says "let's stay like this a little." Ranma mumbles something.

Hotaru thinks about how it's been so long since she's been on a picnic and how even though she had wished the others had come, she was even more glad that she could be like this with Ranma… she suddenly felt a flash of loneliness and despair (mistress 9 flashes) and turns towards Ranma. He looked a little nervous but smiled quickly at her before looking away. She smiles softly. Ranma… what a silly person he was sometimes. "Hey Ranma… we're friends right?"

Ranma looks at her oddly. "Of course."

She looks away, her heart starting to beat faster. But what she rally wanted to ask, what she really wanted to know… She looked up at Ranma again, seeing the sunlight pouring over his face, making him seem to glow. It was like last time, except now there was no sign of darkness. No, not yet. Later, later she would ask him… if they were more than friends. But right now, she wanted this moment to last. This bright, beautiful moment, like a slice of eternity without any sign of darkness.

The Picture

Ranma and Hotaru walk back to the clearing.

Ranma calls out to Usagi and Mamoru and they look up. "There you guys are!" Usagi exclaims. "We thought the two of you had run off to elope or something!"

Ranma rolls his eyes. "What the heck are you saying? You weirdo."

Usagi: "Hotaru knows what I'm talking about, right?" She winks at Hotaru.

Hotaru smiles and shakes her head. "Ranma was a perfect gentleman."

Usagi: "Was that before or after all that screaming I heard from over there?"

Hotaru: "After," she wink and Usagi giggles.

Ranma looks at both of them strangely and then turns to Mamoru. Hey Mamoru, is your camera okay?" During the game of tag, they had run into Mamoru and gotten him involved while he was taking pictures.

Mamoru: "It's fine, just a little dirty. I got a lot of good pictures of you guys though."

Hotaru: "Really?" Mamoru nods: "I'll make you copies."

Hotaru is very excited: "Thank you!"

Mamoru says they should probably head in now to see his friend in the greenhouse.

Usagi wants a picture first though. But there's no one around. Mamoru says it's okay, he can use the timer and sets up a tripod.

Hotaru stands next to Ranma. She looks at Mamoru and Usagi. They looked so perfect together. She wished she could have a little bit of that perfection. Usagi sees them and tells them to hurry and get closer together for the picture, like them

Hotaru and Ranma look at each other, hesitant for a second, but then Ranma offers his arm and Hotaru slips hers around his.

"Now your best smile," Usagi orders.

Hotaru looked at the camera. Right now… they must look just like a real couple, she thought. And she smiled her best smile, putting every ounce of happiness she felt into it. And as the camera flashed, she thought that maybe… they felt like a real couple too.

Outer Senshi

The Outer Senshi are watching from inside the building.

Haruka comments that Mamoru was still hanging around with Hotaru even after they warned him

Michiru says at least Chibi-Usa wasn't there.

Haruka says "Still… there is something about that girl. She has a dangerous power and…"

Michiru: "You think she might have something to do with the enemy."

Haruka nods slowly.

Michiru: "But the talismans have already been found… how could she be related?"

Haruka sighs. "I don't know… what do you think Setsuna?"

Setsuna doesn't reply and Haruka looks at her. She's staring at Ranma and Hotaru with a distant look in her eyes.

Haruka: "Setsuna?"

Setsuna finally says, "They look really happy don't they?"

Haruka looks back out. Indeed they do. But… "She's a danger to Ranma too," Haruka finally says.

Michiru smiles sadly: "You were the one who wanted them to be together the most."

Haruka sighs. She liked Ranma, and she even liked Hotaru… the two were right for each other and watching them stumble along with their friendship and more had really made her smile. They were so innocent and pure. But…

Setsuna: "Do you think a normal person can love someone with unusual powers (alternate: people like us).

Haruka and Michiru both look at Setsuna oddly. She had been acting strangely for a while now. "What do you mean?"

Setsuna sighs and turns away. "That girl's life is now intertwined with Ranma's and the others'. Whatever happens and whatever the truth is, we must be prepared to accept the consequences of that fact."

Setsuna glances one more time at Ranma and Hotaru's happy faces and walks away. Whatever happens…

The Greenhouse

Ranma and company are being shown around the greenhouse by Mamoru's friend. The friend asks "So you guys said you ate already?"

Mamoru says yeah sheepishly. "These two were just so eager to eat."

Usagi pouts, "I don't eat that much! Look at my figure!" Mamoru laughs and says sorry sorry.

Ranma whistles as they enter another room. There were more roses here than he had ever seen in one place. The guy says most of the stock of roses in Japan were in this room. Ranma looks s around and asks if he really grew all of these flowers by himself. The guy laughs and says he has a little help. Ranma says he must really like flowers and the guys smiles. He says does enjoy seeing them grow. Using the newest tech he could make roses of different colors and even ones resistant to diseases. Ranma nods and continues following.

Hotaru who was looking at a flower suddenly feels sad. The flowers were being manipulated like that? She suddenly feels a small seizure and flinches, stumbling slightly. She braces herself against a shelf and touches her chest, trying to regain her breath.

The others come back and Ranma asks if she's okay. Hotaru forces a smile and nods. "I'm just a little tired… you should go on ahead of me…"

Ranma looks at her doubtfully: "Are you sure?"

Hotaru says "Go ahead… I'll catch up in a bit." Ranma says he'll stay with Hotaru, the others go ahead.

Usagi is very enthusiastic and leaves with a wink at Ranma. They go to the tropical plant room.

Ranma walks up next to Hotaru commenting on how weird Usagi was sometimes. But he guessed it was actually a pretty good part of her.

Hotaru nods and turns away, slowly catching her breath.

Ranma looks at her a little worriedly but then starts pacing around looking at the flowers.

Hotaru finally regains her strength and turns back around. She watches Ranma walk and thinks it was rather unlike him to offer to stay like that. He had always been protective of her—she smiles at the thought—but never so… she couldn't think of the word and finally just says Thank you for staying with me Ranma."

He waves a hand back and says almost nonchalantly "No prob, we're friends right?"

Hotaru smiles "Yeah, we are."

Ranma stops and looks at some purple roses. "Man, these things are pretty amazing huh? I can't believe some guy grew all of these." He pokes one of the petals. "These really match you, Hotaru."

Hotaru looked away. On one hand she was flattered that Ranma had sad something like that about her—it was really strange. Bit on the other hand, the roses…

Hotaru talks about how the roses should just be left free to grow by themselves. She thought it was a little sad that they were all being kept here, controlled by one person like that. Ranma laughs and Hotaru turns to him surprised. He is shaking his head at her and she feels a little embarrassed. What had she said? "Geez," Ranma says, "Weren't you the one who told me that doing things alone is a lot worse than with others?"

Hotaru's breathe catches and her heart jumps. This was the first time he had ever talked to her about that time. He had opened up to her more since then but had never actually mentioned that night she had held him, lost and confused, in her arms.

Ranma: "These flowers… the guy said he made them, what was it… disease resistant too right? I think that's a pretty good deal in exchange for relying on somebody." Ranma turns back to the roses and adds, almost casually, "kinda like you and me, right?"

Hotaru is staring at Ranma speechless. Her face began to heat up a little. Though she had thought it often enough, hearing it come from his lips, talking about them like… that… she quickly regained her composure and worked up a smile. "So you're a flower now Ranma?"

Ranma snaps the violet/purple rose off and turns back towards Hotaru. "Well actually I think this one matches you a lot more."

Hotaru loses her composure again, once more taken aback by Ranma's strange behavior. Was this… was this really happening? She reaches out almost in a daze and takes the flower, only coming back to her senses when she feels it in her hands. All of a sudden she feels like she was being a stupid little child and quickly says "I'm sorry Ranma, you're right… I can't believe I forgot. Thank you."

He glances around conspiratorially and grins "Hey, I didn't pay for it."

Hotaru all at once realizes Ranma had basically stolen the flower and doesn't know whether to laugh or sigh in exasperation. But still… she feels the purple flower in her hand and flushes. Ranma had given her a rose!

Suddenly the sky gets dark and it begins to rain and hail. Hotaru and Ranma both look up. Thunder and Lighting strike and Hotaru jumps, startled.

Ranma puts a hand on her shoulder and says "Don't worry, it's just a thunderstorm, we're inside so it's okay."

Hotaru holds the flower up to her chest, feeling glad he was here. "Who's worried" she asks teasingly. "You're the one who doesn't like the dark."

Glass breaks somewhere as lightning strikes and Hotaru jumps, pulling near Ranma.

Ranma snickers. "Looks like you're the one who's still afraid of the dark."

Hotaru steps back, embarrassed.

Ranma turns around. "C'mon, lets go find the others."

Hotaru nods and follows, still clutching her rose near her chest.

Mimete

Mimete watches gleefully as Ubara lifts Ranma's friend up and begins sucking out his heart crystal. This was perfect! No interference so far! She could just grab it and go—the professor would be so pleased.

Ranma Sees the Daimon

Ranma and Hotaru hear the strange sounds and then see the Daimon. Hotaru sees Ranma's eyes harden and realizes that he was still obsessed with beating the monsters. He was going to go and put himself in danger again. Hotaru felt a little sick, thinking back to all the previous fights.

But then Ranma surprises Hotaru by turning to her and telling her "I'm going to go okay?" She had expected him to just blindly run in. "I have to… the Senshi aren't here and that thing has the guy's crystal heart."

Hotaru knew he would've gone to fight that thing no matter what happened but she was glad he was trying to comfort her. She nods and Ranma crouches down slightly and starts to head towards the daimon.

Suddenly, Hotaru reaches out and touches his arm. "Wait, Ranma."

He stops and looks back. "What is it?"

She looks at the rose he had given her in her other hand. He had stopped instantly when she touched him. Always so worried and protective of her… She forced up her best smile. "I believe in you Ranma. Please fight your best and don't get hurt okay?"

He was so protective of her, but more than anything… she wanted to protect him. Not just from the daimon but… she thought back to those previous fight with Ranma panicking and screaming her name… from his own emotions and her weakness too: but right now all she could do was give him all her support.

Ranma grins cockily. "Of course!"

Hotaru watches, clutching the rose and feeling sick as Ranma stated sneaking towards the daimon.

The Fight

Ranma enters the scene with a surprise attack as the daimon/Mimete tries to leave. Ranma presses the advantage but is driven back by rose petals. Ranma sizes up the enemy.

Mimete: "You again! Why are you always getting in my way?! Is that girl here too?" Mimete looks around and Ranma attacks her as she lets her guard down. Mimete narrow escapes. "You jerk! You're not supposed to attack just like that!"

Ranma grins and settles into a loose stance again. Somewhere along the way he had grown used to seeing these girls as the enemy and felt no hesitation attacking them. "Since I'm a guy don't expect any speeches… but get ready to get your ass kicked!"

Mimete face faults: "You're pretty confident for someone who's always getting saved by the Senshi. Ubaru, kill him!"

Ranma winces at the comment but shrugs it off. He fights the daimon, keeping his cool and dong remarkably well.

Mimete gets angry and joins in by throwing a knife at Ranma. Ranma catches it but then Ubaru uses her roots from the ground to ensnare Ranma's legs. Ranma drops to his knees to pin the roots down. Ubaru attacks with her long thorny arms and Ranma stabs one with the knife in his left hand, controlling it, and grabbing the other one with his right hand. The thorns cut into his hand, making him bleed. Ubaru screams but he just grunts. The two are standing off now. Ranma slowly widens his base and attempts to keep the arms in control.

Mimete laughs and starts walking towards Ranma. "Now I have you!"

Ranma clenches his teeth and shifts his right shoulder forward, lifting his left knee up slightly. He thinks, "That's right you stupid bitch, come closer." He stares at Mimete but then his eyes widen. "Hotaru! No!"

Mimete: "Huh?" She turns around

Hotaru slams a large wooden plank into Mimete's head. She falls back screaming but shoots a large ball at Hotaru which she blocks with the board. The board breaks however and the ball hits Hotaru in the stomach, sending her flying back and coughing up blood.

Mimete gets up and stalks towards her. "You slut!" she cradles her cheek and wipes blood from her mouth. "How dare you hurt my beautiful face, I'll kill you!"

Hotaru stumbles to her knees, breathing heavily, not able to lift her head up.

Ranma thinks "Shit! Shit!" He wanted to take out that Mimete chick but he had to get to Hotaru now! He pops his left knee up and free, and as the roots start to entangle his right leg he spins to his left, the knife ripping the daimon's hand and yanking her to the side. He lands on the ground with his left leg kneeling and tries to run towards Hotaru but his right leg is still trapped. He hacks at the roots with the knife desperately.

Mimete kicks Hotaru as she gets up. Ranma screams, pulling at his foot. He remembers the past fights.

Mimete pulls Hotaru up and looks into her pained and wincing face. "What a pathetic face. Let me fix it up for you!" She slaps Hotaru and then backhands her, knocking her down.

Mimete looks back at Ranma. Ubaru, stop screaming and makes sure you restrain him. I think I'll let him watch me kill his girlfriend.

Ranma: Almost free, almost free… he could make it, he could make it!

Mimete turns back and sees Hotaru stumbling back to her feet: "Oh, you can still stand? That's good, it'll make it easier for me to beat that ugly little face of yours.

Hotaru pulls back her right leg and hand, making a fist. Mimete blinks, suddenly feeling an oppressive aura all around her.

Hotaru looks up and Mimete gasps Hotaru is in "Mistress 9 mode" glowing bright yellow. She stares at Mimete, hair fluttering, with grim determination.

Mimete: "W-What…?"

Hotaru throws her right arm forward in a punch, her fist blazing a yellow trail. It hits Mimete in the stomach. There is a sound like a large explosion and Mimete hurtles through the air against a shelf of flowers and collapses. Hotaru returns to normal and falls down unconscious.

Ranma: "Hotaru!" His shock at whatever Hotaru had just done is overcome by worry and he hacks at the roots. Ubaru is starting to get up through.

Tuxedo Mask suddenly appears, cutting the roots with his cane and swooping Ranma up.

Ranma: "You guys!" Tuxedo Mask lands and lets Ranma down.

"Rainbow Moon Heartache!" Sailor Moon's attack destroys Ubaru.

Ranma: "Late as usual!" He runs towards Hotaru.

Usagi picks up the crystal heat and Tuxedo Mask looks at where Mimete was but she's gone.

The Aftermath

Hotaru slowly opens her eyes to someone saying her name. Light floods her eyes but blinking she makes out Ranma, who's shaking her gently.

Ranma: "Hotaru! Are you alright?"

Hotaru thinking: Alright? What happened? She pushes herself up, rubbing her head. The fight! He eyes flash with worry and she looks back at Ranma and sees one of his hands wrapped in a crude bandage. "Ranma! You're hurt!" She reaches for his hand to heal it but he grips her by the shoulders.

Ranma: "Stop it! Stop it! Wait a minute damn it!"

Hotaru stops and pulls back, not sure what to do.

Ranma: "Are you alright?"

Hotaru: "Yes, I'm fine Ranma."

Ranma: "You took a lot of hits in that fight, you were bleeding."

Hotaru blinks. "I… I did." She suddenly remembers the pain and instinctively touches her stomach, where the ball had hit her, but she felt fine. Then she touches her cheeks, which had been cut and bleeding. Smooth and fine…

Ranma: "What happened Hotaru? You…" He thinks back to the image of Hotaru glowing yellow as she punched Mimete.

Hotaru shakes her head: "I… don't know." The last thing I remember was trying to get up after she hit me and thinking… thinking that I really wanted to punch her." She looks down and makes a fist with her right hand for a second.

Ranma lets her go and falls back. He sighs. "You did punch her."

Hotaru blinks: "I did? I don't remember."

Ranma: "Yeah well it was pretty bad punch anyway. Your stance was too wide, you timed the impact too late and worse of all you telegraphed it to her. You're lucky it even landed."

Hotaru smiles weakly. "I'm sorry Ranma. I just really wanted to protect you."

Ranma clenches his fist and looks away. "Damn it Hotaru, don't do that! Do you have any idea…" he hesitates for a second, "how scared I was watching you get hurt?"

Hotaru nods and reaches out to hear Ranma's hand. "Yeah… about as scared as I was watching you fight that monster… I think."

Ranma looks up, surprised at her answer.

Hotaru: "I'm scared for you too Ranma… don't you realize that?"

Ranma: "But… you shouldn't! Damn it Hotaru… what would I do if something happened to you?"

Hotaru: "What would I do if something happened to you? Didn't you just say that we could rely on each other?" She looks away for a second. "Or was that rose you gave me really just a lie?"

Ranma: "No! But…"

Hotaru pulls Ranma into a hug. "Then just realize that you're not the only one who wants to protect somebody. You're not alone Ranma."

Ranma slowly relaxes and gives an exasperated smile. He pushes himself away. "… sorry Hotaru, I guess you're right as usual. I was being selfish again huh?"

Hotaru: "Just a little."

Ranma gets up and pulls Hotaru up. "C'mon, Usagi and Mamoru are helping out that guy. Let's give them a hand. "He walks off and Hotaru starts after him."

Ranma: "And Hotaru?"

Hotaru: "Yes?"

Ranma: "Remind me to show you how to throw a punch sometime alright?"

Hotaru smiles: "You want to fight me Ranma?"

The two laugh and walk off, the light streaming down around them and a bright rainbow above. (it's in the anime).

Chapter 37

Walking to School With a Friend

Hotaru is happy as she walks to school because Mashiro is walking with her. He is the boy that she had healed a few days ago and he and his friends had started spending their lunch time with her. They seemed to have accepted her and it had gone a long way towards making school enjoyable for her again. Like Ranma they had accepted and even come to value her powers. Yesterday she had even gone with them to watch them play soccer in case somebody got injured. Though most people were still hostile to her, going to school with the edge taken off that feeling of loneliness and exclusion felt like having a great burden lifted off her shoulders.

Mashiro is talking about how annoying the homework last night was and how he had stayed up late finishing it. What about her? Hotaru says she finished last week the day after it was assigned. Mashiro laughs, saying he should've known since she was such an excellent student.

Hotaru smiles. That was such a meaningless statement. Most of the students at Mugen were excellent students. Mashiro himself was reputed to be very intelligent, though a bit on the… not lazy, but… irresponsible side.

She says, "Still, I'm very impressed that you managed to finish it and actually leave for school early."

Mashiro blinks. What? He was early?

They reach the school gates and Mashiro realizes the bell hadn't rung yet. "Wow, I am early!"

Hotaru nods. He usually came running in with his other friends barely missing the last bell.

Mashiro wonders why he came early today.

Hotaru: "You don't know?"

Mashiro stops and thinks. "Hmm…. Maybe I wanted to walk to you to school." He winks at her.

Hotaru laughs. "Well if that's the case then I thank you." She bows slightly.

Mashiro laughs. "Yeah sure… hey, lets wait for the others, we have a lot of time left."

Hotaru agrees and they stand by the gates. Hotaru notices everybody's been staring at her more often lately, whereas before they had just tended to ignore her.

Mashiro notices and says not to worry about it. It was just that everybody was surprised that somebody from school was friends with the Witch of Mugen Gauken.

Hotaru winces. Was that really what they called her? Mashiro says she was also known as the Grim Reaper of Mugen, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, the 100 Man Slayer, and, his personal favorite, the Violet Death. That was just the one that seemed to suit her the best.

Now Hotaru is shocked. Really?! For how long had she been call all of this?

Mashiro shrugs. For at least as long as the two years he's been here.

Hotaru: "I see…"

Mashiro: "you mean you didn't know?"

Hotaru: "Well I knew they talked about me a little, but I didn't know they thought I really was that… scary."

Mashiro: "Oh man! You have no idea then? All the stories they tell about you?"

Hotaru: "I know about… the times I hurt some of the people from my old class, but…"

Mashiro recounts several of the stories about Hotaru, which were all ridiculously absurd. There was the time she had single-handedly hospitalized the entire rugby team, that serial killer incident she had gotten credit for, and the time she blew up the 11th grade chemistry lab. Once her old class had reputedly been so terrorized by her that they had hired skilled assassins to kill her but she had obliterated them with her hands leaving no trace behind except a large hole on the north side of the building.

Hotaru started at Mashiro with disbelief. No way… those stories were just too absurd. Some of them sounded like they had a grain of truth in them but most of it just sounded like she had somehow gotten the blame for every disaster that happened at Mugen!

Mashiro adds in one last ridiculous story about how the old class had to use Buddhist wards to prevent her from going back into their classroom after she had been moved, but that she had just burned through them with her eyes.

Hotaru bursts out laughing. This was just too ridiculous! "You… you can't be serious!"

Mashiro laughs" Haha… yeah, it is pretty stupid now that I think about it. Man, I can't believe I used to believe all of them…"

Hotaru wipes away a tear and slowly calms down. "Still," she says after a while. "I guess it's no wonder people are so scared of me with stories like that going around."

Mashiro reassures her that it'll be okay. Most of the people probably think the stories were a bit far-fetched, it was just that they didn't know her that they chose to believe them. Now that she had friends, they would see her for the kind person she really was and everything would be fine. Besides, most of the stories came from those snobs in the 9-A class she used to be in, and nobody liked them either. If anything, some people looked at her as some sort of anti-hero rival to the class.

Hotaru: "But still, there's truth in the stories. I have… hurt people before."

Mashiro looks at her: "Hey, you said you don't know what happened, it's not your fault."

Hotaru: "But I might hurt you someday Mashiro…"

Mashiro smiles: "Well as long as you heal me afterwards I'm fine with it. If not, well then you owe me lunch."

Hotaru laughs and says okay. She looks at Mashiro and for a moment she sees Ranma. The bell rings.

Mashiro's friends arrive and greet the two. They ask Mashiro if he had already gone to talk to the vice principal. Mashiro blinks, then remembers that's why he had gone to school early and runs off yelling "I'll see you guys later!"

Lunch at Mugen

The lunch bell rings and Mashiro and his friends gather around Hotaru, chatting about where to go eat. Hotaru asks Mashiro about the Vice Principal but he says he didn't know. He had come back to class right away since apparently an assistant of Professor Tomoe had wanted to see him but left when he didn't show up.

Hotaru frowns, getting a bad feeling. "An assistant of my father?"

Mashiro: "Oh yeah, Soichi Tomoe's your father right Hotaru?"

Hotaru nods. The others wonder if he was going to be invited to be a research assistant like some of the other students. Mashiro shrugs. He had no idea but the Vice Principal said he would call him again when the assistant returned, and that he had better not be late again.

A woman's voice comes over the speakers: "Mashiro Sato, class 3-B, please report to the vice principal's office."

Mashiro says well that's it. He'd better go. Guess they were waiting for lunch so he wouldn't miss class. Bastards. He tells them to save him some food and heads off.

Hotaru thinks the voice on the speaker sounded very familiar and gets that tight, foreboding feeling inside of her, like the ones she got whenever Ranma went to fight a daimon.

The students talk a bit and then decided to go get lunch. Hotaru excuses herself and says she wants to go check on Mashiro.

The others blink. One of them jokes, "Hey, you don't think she's going to eat his heart are you?" Another smacks him. "Idiot! How can you say that after she saved you that time?!"

"Haha… I was just kidding, just kidding!"

Hotaru Goes to the V.P.'s Room

Hotaru approaches the V.P.'s room with a growing feeling of dread. The hallway is empty and silent. She hadn't seen any of the guards she usually saw around and even the cameras somehow seemed as if they weren't turned on. She was getting…. Scared. She looked around her. Ranma wasn't here.

Taking a deep breath she continues on. It was probably nothing. She would just take a quick peek to make sure Mashiro was okay.

She reaches the door, it's open. She looks inside and gasps. She could only see a little bit, but that thing laying on the ground was definitely a daimon. Mashiro was near the door and that voice… she recognized it now. That was Mimete!"

Inside the Room

Mimete is staring at the boy who was her target. He was on the ground, clutching at a knife she had thrown into his thigh. "Very impressive! Even though it was only a small shock, most people would have been too scared to even blink much less move. If I hadn't thrown that knife you might have escaped!" But not only did he manage to divert daimon Joule-ee's next attack with that metal chair, he even had enough sense left about him to kick up and that thick rug and tripped her, whereupon she got get her shocked by her own static electricity building up within it.

Mashiro grit his teeth staring back at Mimete grimly as she laughed. None of her words mattered much now. She had still gotten him. Shit… he wanted to pull the knife out but didn't want to risk opening the wound. Damn it, if he had just been a little faster.

"Too bad," Mimete said sadly as Joule-ee got back up. "You're pretty cute. If I didn't have to kill you I might've gone out with you."

Mashiro: "Who would go out with an ugly old hag like you!"

Mimete: "You little brat! Joule-ee, kill him now!"

Joule-ee winces and stumbles a little bit but begins to sparkle. "Joule-ee!" It zaps Mashiro.

A long metal stick suddenly flies into the room and diverting the attack. The lights explode and Mimete screams, taking cover as Joule-ee's attack seems to come back towards her.

Mimete Gets Up

Mimete slowly gets up, feeling a little disoriented. Something smelled burnt. It was the wreckage of the lights and the table she had been hiding under. There were pieces of debris on fire and she could see a slightly charred rod nearby. What the heck had happened?

The boy was gone. Damn it, he had more tricks up his sleeve? She goes over to Joule-ee who is sprawled on the ground, her clothing charred, and kicks her. She wakes up, muttering incoherently. "What happened?"

Mimete: "Never mind that! Go find the target. He couldn't have gotten far!"

Joule-ee stumbles to her feet and takes a few moments to regain her bearings and then shouts "Joule-ee!"

Hotaru and Mashiro

Hotaru is helping Mashiro walk with one of his arms slung over her shoulders. He's limping with the knife still in his thigh. She didn't want to stop to heal it yet.

Hotaru: "Come on Mashiro, we have to get as far away as possible."

Mashiro: "Heh… I never would have dreamed that I'd be saved by the 100 Man Slayer…" He starts to laugh but then winces, clutching his leg near the stab wound.

Hotaru: "I'm sorry Mashiro, just bear with it a little longer… I'll heal you as soon as we're safe.

Mashiro smirks: "I'm looking forward to it."

Suddenly, a wall explodes. "Joule-ee!" The daimon spots them and starts charging up her attack again. She sends another bolt at them

Mashiro pulls the knife out of his wound with a scream and throws it at the ceiling, which attracts the lightning attack. The ceiling explodes and a large amount of debris and dust fall down.

Mashiro is clasping his wound and grimacing. He collapses and Hotaru tries to pull him back up. He tells her to go on without him but she refuses.

Suddenly, the debris explodes, the shockwave sending them tumbling to the ground. Joule-ee appeared out of the dust, starting at the two of them.

Hotaru watches grimly as it approaches, trying to pull Mashiro back up. Mashiro yells at her to run or they'd both die. Hotaru starts having an attack. She falls down and pushes herself back up, breathing heavily.

Mashiro: "Hotaru! Hotaru!" He shakes her but she doesn't seem to be there. He looks back at the daimon approaching them, sparkling with electricity again.

Suddenly, he is surrounded by a yellow glow and feels a thick, oppressive aura surround him. He looks at Hotaru and sees that she's glowing in Mistress 9 form. "Yellow Eyed Demon…" he mutters as he stares at her in shock. This was… Hotaru?

The yellow aura suddenly explodes towards the demon and it is sent hurtling backwards with a scream. Hotaru returns to normal and collapses to the ground.

The daimon gets up again with a scream.

Uranus: Damn, that didn't tell us anything.

Uranus and Neptune appear: "Representing the New Era, Sailor Uranus! And Neptune" (or some similar speech). They fry the daimon and then turn to Hotaru and Mashiro.

They look at Hotaru as if expecting something to happen before finally leaving a confused Mashiro with Hotaru.

The Return

Mashiro stumbles into the classroom with an unconscious Hotaru. His friends immediately run up to help him, laying them down by the wall while everybody else watched in shock. His friends ask him what happened while trying to find something to bind his wound. Mashiro's hand and leg are stained with blood as well as Hotaru and it's quite a shocking scene. Mashiro says to give him a second… he needed to get his breathe back.

One of the other students not in his group asks if it was "her" who did this and Mashiro shakes his head. "Hotaru saved me."

The others don't believe him. "No way, the demon girl?"

Mashiro is annoyed. "What's so hard to believe about that?"

Student: "Everybody knows that she… the things she's done…"

Mashiro: "Damn it, do you believe everything those snobs in 9-A tell you?! You saw her help (his friend) and me last time!"

Everybody is quiet.

Mashiro: "Tch! You're no better than that bitch Yui Bido (The deathbuster Villuy) and her science club. Judging someone without the slightest clue of what the truth is.

Mashiro's friends tell him to calm down or he'll open his wounds and then join in on defending Hotaru as one of the kindest persons they've ever known.

Mashiro: "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?!"

Hotaru suddenly places a hand on Mashiro's shoulders and says it's okay. She doesn't mind. She's just glad he was okay. She heals his leg, tiring herself a little.

Mashiro thinks "She's like this because she helped me… there's no way somebody like that could be a bad person.

Hotaru and Friends Leaving School

Hotaru are leaving the school building with Mashiro and his friends. He is telling the others about what had happened during lunch. She didn't really pay attention. It wasn't like she was all that proud of what had happened anyway. She had… passed out again. Supposedly she had done something again but… she couldn't remember it. That meant it was just the same as her hurting others wasn't it? It could've gone either way, she had no control over it…

Hotaru is broken out of her thoughts by the approach of three female classmates. Mashiro and company stop and watch suspiciously as the three greet them and then turn to Hotaru.

They hesitantly ask if what Mashiro had said was true (his story). Hotaru confesses she doesn't remember what happened, she adds softly that she could've hurt him and-

The girls panic, insisting that they didn't mean to contradict her.

Hotaru is shocked and Mashiro puts a hand on Hotaru's shoulder saying "Are you still thinking about that Hotaru? You didn't hurt me because you're a kind person alright, if you weren't you would've killed me, so stop thinking about it!"

Hotaru smiles at her and then looks back at the girls. She says she's sorry if she's scared them, the truth was she was really nervous talking to them. She asks them if their names are Seiko, Fumiki, and Kahori and they are surprised she knows them. She says of course she does, they were some of the most well-liked girls in school. Hotaru was honored that they were talking with her.

The girls laugh, embarrassed and feeling more at ease. They confess they had always thought Hotaru was a little scary, especially when she so forcefully healed her friend that one day.

Hotaru is embarrassed and apologizes. She says she had been stressing out at the time. They ask if it was about her boyfriend, that guy who came to see her at lunch sometimes. Hotaru flushes embarrassed and says it's not like that.

They tell her they were in love with the idea of the Grim Reaper of Mugen Gauken having a boyfriend. Some kind and gentle person who managed to warm the beautiful assassin's frozen heart. Hotaru laughs a little at the thought. It was a bit like that, but it was also a little more the other way around too wasn't it?

The girls see her thinking and then invite her and Mashiro to go eat with them. Hotaru is shocked but they accept and go. Hotaru is overwhelmed but smiles, feeling lightheaded and happy. Being like this with people at school, like a normal student… it was like a dream for her.

Chapter 38

Hotaru Wakes Up

Hotaru wakes up with a start, breathing heavily. She had just had a nightmare about the silence. She can't remember it clearly but one word keeps going through her head: Messiah.

She wonders why she keeps getting these unpleasant dreams. She had bad dreams a lot for as long as she could remember but lately they had seemed particularly frequent and… frightening. She touches her chest. What was this dark, foreboding feeling she felt? Why did she feel so scared?

She turns and sees the rose Ranma gave her in a vase and smiles, slowly feeling at ease. She gets up, pushing her stupid fears away and walks to the rose. She gently touches it. It had been four days now but the rose was still bright and beautiful. The 1st flower anybody had ever given her. She smiles, "Ranma…"

That's right she thought, reaching for the window curtains. What was she feeling sad about? She pulls the curtains open and the bright morning light hits her. Life was wonderful!

Ranma Goes to School

Ranma pulls on his shoes while running out the balcony. A piece of slightly burnt toast is in his mouth. Jumping onto the railing he takes a bite out of the toast and swallows. Glancing back he waves at Genma. "See ya later pops! I'll be home late again!"

Before Genma could even utter a reply, Ranma has already jumped off. He falls down pass two more balconies before landing on a railing and dropping again. He repeats until he's on the ground.

Ranma wipes his brow. Phew. He didn't know what had happened but sometime during the past few weeks of training he had been able to land three stories down with the same ease as one story. He grins as he runs off. Guess he had reached the next level, finally. Literally.

Jumping on a fence he begins running towards Ryoga's house. let's see, he was a little late so he had only about 10 minutes to spend sparring with Ryoga before they had to leave, if they wanted to get to school on time. Walking the infamous Lost Boy to school had usually been a good excuse for people coming in late, but lately he and Ryoga had been getting chewed up for being so late every day. Probably only the fact that their grades had been remarkably high (which wasn't really all that high) and consistently improving kept actual punishment.

Ranma runs past the familiar buildings and down familiar streets. Funny, he thought. When had he begun to feel so comfortable in this "big" city? He remembered getting lost the first day. He thinks about what he did yesterday and is going to do today and tomorrow. It was… strange knowing what he was going to be doing. But also nice. It was a very comfortable feeling, like he belonged. It kinda felt like… home.

Lunch at School

At school, Ranma drops in front of Minako chewing on his bread and grins at her. "Man Minako, this curry bread is the best one they've served at school yet." He hears Ryoga shouting for him and quickly sits down next to Minako.

Minako regarded Ranma curiously. He was unusually happy today. He didn't usually come up to her saying something so… normal, like that. Actually, he usually said something that made her either roll her eyes or want to hit him, often times both. "So you won today huh?

Ranma says back casually, "What're you talking about? I win every day."

Minako smiles and rolls her eyes. There it was. Happy or not, he was still same old typical Ranma.

"Hey Minako… is something bothering you?"

Now Minako is shocked, her mouth hanging open a little. It was not so much that Ranma knew something was bothering her, it was that he had asked. Ranma looks at her flabbergasted expression strangely. "Uh… are you alright?"

Minako quickly recomposes herself and says "Yeah, I'm fine Ranma. I'm just surprised that…" she decides no to say that. "Well never mind, but I'm fine. Just a little stressed out from all the tests we've had lately I guess."

Ranma: "Oh. That's not bad then. Cause you were sitting here staring off like something was really bothering you."

Minako regarded Ranma strangely again. She didn't know he could be so observant of people… but he was right. She looks out into the sky and gives a mental sigh. Things seemed so… bad? Confusing? Strange? She felt a little bad lying to Ranma but she couldn't tell him about her activities as a Senshi. It was just that the way the other Senshi: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto kept running away from them had been starting to take its toll on her. They were Senshi too but for some reason they refused to fight together for some stupid, obscure reason. It was hard enough being a Senshi and trying to lead a normal life at the same time, without this sense they were giving that the world was in imminent danger of some terrible catastrophe. If that was the case… then why wouldn't they accept any help? They were strong enough right? They had always managed to beat all the daimons that came up so why…

Minako thinks of Uranus words: "You can't make the sacrifices necessary to protect this world." Sacrifices? What did she mean? She had already sacrificed her normal life. School, friends, family… what else was there? But Minako knew what Uranus was talking about, like when they had been searching for the talismans. Maybe someday they'd have to sacrifice something else. Their beliefs, ideals… a person. The thought scared Minako. Why did it have to be that way? But… Usagi was so against it. That girl… Minako smiles, she was glad someone as kind and loving as Usagi was their leader and would one day be their queen.

Ranma: "Hey, are you even listening to me Minako?"

Minako realizes she had been getting lost in her thoughts and snaps back to reality. "Huh? Oh sorry Ranma! What did you just say?" She smiles apoplectically at him. Ranma looks at Minako worriedly and says, "I was just saying that Hotaru's starting to make a bunch of friends at school."

Minako smiles. "That's great Ranma!" Those two… they had grown so much since they first came here and it made her glad to see them so happy now. She liked to think she had a little to do with it. "So are you two officially a couple yet?"

Ranma chokes and Minako can't help but laugh. He was still so uncomfortable about that subject. Couldn't he tell how much Hotaru loved him? Couldn't he tell he was hopelessly in love with her? "How about kissing? Have you guys done that yet?"

Ranma: "What the heck are you saying you idiot!"

Minako looks at him with mock surprise. "Oh, you don't know what a kiss is? Here, pretend I'm Hotaru." Minako takes Ranma by the shoulders and presses him against the tree. Then she sits on his lap.

Ranma has a panicked look on his face but seems frozen in place: "H-Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"

Minako cups Ranma's chin, giving him a lustful look. "Ranma… I want to feel your lips against mine…" She closes her eyes and slowly leans forward.

Ranma screams and shoves Minako off. He jumps away breathing heavily.

Ranma: "What the hell are you trying to do you crazy idiot?!"

Minako laughs, dusting herself off. "Calm down, I wasn't really going to kiss you! I know you're saving your first kiss for Hotaru."

Ranma: "Now you're saying weird things again!"

Minako laughs, feeling light hearted. At least, she thought. Whatever happens those two would be alright. And moments like these, when she could laugh away all her tension, at least they would be safe.

Training Hotaru

Ranma is at the shrine showing Hotaru how to punch properly. He corrects her stance and posture and then tells her to punch. She does and he says to hold that position. He regards her for a second and then smiles and says "Good, I think you got the hang of it."

Hotaru's face lights up. "Really?"

Ranma nods. "Now you need to work on your distance and timing." He gets in front of her and raises his palms. "I want you to punch my hands as fast and hard as you can. Make it good, I want to hear the air snap!"

Hotaru looks worried. "I have to hit you?"

Ranma: "Just my hands. Remember to keep your muscles loose right until the last second."

Hotaru: "But…" Ranma: "Don't worry, you couldn't hurt me if you tried!"

Hotaru hesitantly throws the first punch, stepping up. Ranma says "That was pathetic! C'mon, the other hand!"

Hotaru does straight punches stepping forward with each one. Gradually, her punches become stronger and stronger, making a nice solid sound as they hit.

Ranma is pleased and thinks that for a girl with bad health and no previous martial arts experience, she's doing pretty well. But…

Ranma pulls his hand back a bit at the last second and Hotaru stumbles, falling forwards.

Ranma, stops her by her shoulders and helps her back to her feet. "What happened?" she asks, a little embarrassed.

Ranma explains that first, she had been overextending herself to begin with, throwing her arm too much. Second, when he pulled his hand back she shouldn't have tried to push through and chase it. If she misses a punch just move on and don't worry about it. It was unrealistic to expect all of your punches to land. Unless of course you were him.

Hotaru giggles. Ranma: "What?" Hotaru: "Nothing… it's just that…"

Hotaru trails off and looks at something behind Ranma with a raised eyebrow.

Ranma: "Huh?" and turns around. "Makoto!" He narrowly avoids a punch and then blocks a roundhouse. Kicking him like that at such a close range and so slowly, she had left several openings but instead of taking them he disengaged and jumped back. "what do you think you're doing?!"

Makoto: "Holding back on me because I'm a girl Ranma? C'mon, fight me seriously. Teach me like you did Hotaru!"

Ranma: "What the hell are you talking about? This is completely different from what I Was doing with Hotaru!"

Makoto charges at Ranma surprisingly fast and attacks Ranma with punch kick combinations. Ranma narrowly dodges and blocks all of her attacks. She had gotten better since the last time they had fought. She was faster and it was a bit harder for him to read her moves. Unfortunately for her, his reflexes and reaction speed were still too fast for that to matter. And even more importantly, she was falling into a recognizable rhythm of punches and kicks that was typical of some forms of karate he had studied before.

The next attack was going to be a right roundhouse followed by a right jab… Ranma pushes in with amazing speed and force as the kick comes, catching it with his left arm and twisting back a little to absorb the impact. At the same time he pushes his right hand against her right shoulder to stop her jab and presses his elbow against her other shoulder in case she tried to counter that arm and slips his right leg behind her support foot. In his mind he visualized the circular motion of all those simultaneous movements. This had all occurred in one amazingly fast burst and from here it would've been easy to just continue with that some circular momentum that had brought him inside her defenses and simply nudge her off balance. She would've been on the ground before she even had time to realize that she had been caught. But, since she wanted to fight him so badly…

Ranma stops for a second, allowing Makoto to register the shock that she had been caught. He then closes his eyes and took a deep breath, pushing it down into his stomach like Genma told him to. Then, twisting quickly to the left in that same circular motion, he pushed his arms and body forward at the same time, exhaling quickly. He imaged his ki being shoved out along with his breath and pushing forward with the flow of his movement in front of him. He felt something like the snap of a punch and when he opened his eyes again Makoto was twenty feet away on the ground rubbing her butt.

Ranma grinned. He still wasn't sure whether this was some weird internal energy from the circular movement thing like his pop said or just him focusing his strength for a second, but it seemed to work.

Minako is pointing and laughing at Minako.

Ranma gloats: "That was one millionth of my true power level! If you want to fight me seriously then get stronger!"

Makoto sweatdropped as she watched Ranma laugh maniacally. "I think you've been watching too much Dragonball Z…"

Suddenly Ryoga attacks. Then he and Makoto double teamed Ranma. Etsuya even joins in throwing pens at Ranma. Takeru watches while Mitsuo makes commentary. When Osamu runs in, Ranma's eyes widen, shouting hey this isn't fair! Makoto and Ryoga end up managing to each get one of Ranma's arms and hold him up while Osamu stands back laughing and Etsuya has a bead on him with a bunch of Ami's pens.

Ranma glares at them calling them traitors but thinks he can get out on Makoto's side. But then they call Hotaru up. They tell her to punch Ranma. Ranma doesn't see Makoto wink at Hotaru.

Hotaru gets in front of Ranma.

Ranma grins: "Hah! Give me your best shot Hotaru! It won't even faze me!"

Hotaru bites her lips and steps in front of Ranma. "I don't know if I can do this…"

Ranma: "Don't worry, I guarantee you won't even hit me."

Hotaru throws the punch and Ranma starts to twist his body to avoid it but at the last second she stops and starts tickling him.

Ranma is startled: "H-Hey! What're you doing!" He was a little bit ticklish but only fidgeted a little.

Mitsuo: "It appears Ranma has a strong defense against Hotaru's vicious attacks."

Takeru: "Go under his shirt Hotaru!"

Ranma: "What the hell are you saying!" He looks down at Hotaru who's stopped and is smirking at him with something like… an evil expression. "… Hotaru?"

Hotaru slips her hands under Ranma's shirt, tickling him there. Ranma bursts out laughing hysterically, feeling jolts of electricity shoot across his body as Hotaru's soft hands roam over his body. He starts laughing and thrashing uncontrollably, which only encourages Hotaru.

Mitsuo: "And it seems Ranma's defenses are only skin deep."

Ryoga and Makoto let Ranma fall to the ground with Hotaru clinging desperately on him: "Consider this revenge for tickling me at the picnic!" she says, her laughter joining his.

Ranma: "I give up! Please! I give up Hotaru!" Ranma shouts out in between gasps for breaths. He didn't seem to even have enough sense left in him to fight back.

Makoto grins: "Ah… music to my ears. Who would've thought Ranma Saotome was capable of begging for mercy like that." And from a shy, sickly little girl too.

Aftermath

Ranma is in a corner by himself breathing heavily and eying everybody suspiciously. Hotaru had finally stopped after awhile. Makoto had immediately attacked him again afterwards but in his weakened condition, still jittery and distracted with his stomach hurting from all the laughing, he had been solidly beaten. Then the others had decided to try their luck with Ryoga roaring a challenge. At this point Ranma had decided that running around like a chicken with its head cut of was his best bet and he did so. They had only stopped when somebody realized that Ryoga had gotten lost and disappeared sometime during the chase. Now everybody was wondering if they should go look for him.

Hotaru comes up to Ranma and asks with a smile if he was mad at her. Her question is half serious however and Ranma sees that flash of worry and insecurity in her eyes he had seen so often before. He smiles at her reassuringly. "Nah… that was a good punch. You really had me tricked."

Hotaru sits down next to Ranma but doesn't look at him. "Thanks."

Ranma looks at her. She had this relaxed, content look on her face now that, though he ad seen more and more often lately, thinking about how she used to be, made him happy to see.

Suddenly, the Senshi call to them. They had to go get Chibi-Usa and help her with something. All of them? Yeah, and they'd probably go looking for Ryoga too. Ranma, Hotaru and the others offer to come too but the Senshi turn down the offer. This was a… uh… family matter. Oh, okay. The Senshi run off and leave. They could stay as long as they liked, just don't make a mess.

Senshi Business

The Senshi are in front of Hotaru's house with Professor Tomoe. They are unable to get in but Chibi-Usa is inside. She had gone to find out Hotaru's clothing size for some presents and Kaolinite had let her in. There is now a dimensional vortex inside the house.

Rest of the scene is like the anime [see episode 118].

They do the sailor teleport and go inside.

At the Shrine

Ranma, Hotaru and the others are playing Old Maid at the shrine

Ranma has a horrible poker face and Hotaru just has bad luck.

Mitsuo and Etsuya are doing the best.

Takeru loses another hand and sighs. He wonders if Rei keeps her panties around here. Osamu chuckles and starts looking

Hotaru stares at them in shock.

Ranma jumps on Osamu's head and gives Takeru a warning look who says he was just wondering.

Etsuya rolls his eyes and says it's been 45 minutes since the others left already. Mitsuo nods and says he's getting kinda tired, maybe they should go home soon.

Osamu complains, "Oh come on guys, aren't you just a little curious?!"

Others: "No!"

Takeru: "Yes! Uh… I mean no! Let's go home!"

The Daimon Dimension

Inside the bizarre dimension within Hotaru's house, the Senshi are shocked to find both Ryoga and Chibi-Usa. They can't use the Sailor Teleport to take them both out.

Ami says Ryoga's bad sense of direction can apparently even pierce dimensional barriers. Rei said she had no idea it was that bad.

Ryoga is confused about how they're talking like they know him so well. Chibi-Usa just laughs nervously and says it's probably because he fought with them so much.

Ryoga shrugs and finally cuts in, "You guys just take care of Chibi-Usa, I'll find my own way back."

Chibi-Usa grabs Ryoga's hand: "No! We're leaving together! Friends don't leave each other behind!"

The others smile and agrees. Usagi says after all wasn't it also their objective to find Ryoga? Rei smacks Usagi for talking so freely.

Ryoga blinks. Friends? Heh… he guessed they were right. "Alright, so what do we do now?"

Everybody looks at Mercury who says she's on it, she's on it.

Ryoga Beats the Daimon

Ryoga stares at the Daimon with the cards. The other Senshi are trapped and Chibi-Usa had won the last game. Now it was up to him to pick the right card. The daimon tries some double talk. Ryoga is quickly getting annoyed and finally just grabs a card.

It's the right one but the daimon refuses to let them go. Ryoga gets up, angry and she says she doesn't like viol- Ryoga slams the table into her face and then throws a chair at Sailor Moon, freeing her. As the daimon gets up angrily, Moon finishes her off.

Outside the House

Outside, the professor goes back inside and the Senshi thank Ryoga. He says no problem, thanks for helping him and Chibi-Usa.

Then they hear Ranma and Hotaru coming and hide, dragging Chibi-Usa and Ryoga with them. They watch, covering the two's mouths as Ranma and Hotaru walk towards the door.

Hotaru Invites Ranma In

Ranma and Hotaru walk up to the door and stop. They're silent

Hotaru: "We're here."

Ranma: "Yeah…" For some reason he was starting to feel nervous again. Just a few second ago they had been talking and laughing just like normal, and yet now for some reason he was feeling… he grappled with the strange, empty feeling building up inside of him. How many times had he walked her to this door already and never felt so strange. What the heck was he waiting for?

Finally he starts to turn around, hands behind his head. "Well, I'll-"

Hotaru: "Do you want to come in Ranma"

Ranma freezes and turns around to look at Hotaru. She also seemed a little nervous. She was looking down with a scared smile, one hand nervously playing with her skirt.

"Sure," Ranma says simply. And for some reason, the tension and nervousness suddenly slipped off of them. Searching for her keys, Hotaru turns around and starts talking about her day at school again.

Senshi

The Senshi are disappointed and release Chibi-Usa and Ryoga. That was it? Not even a single kiss? Just what was wrong with those two?!

Ryoga and Chibi-Usa yell at them. What the heck were they doing? Why didn't they let them go talk to them?

The Senshi counter that they didn't want them to know what happened to Hotaru's house did they? Hotaru might be traumatized for life.

The two think back to all the daimon fights she had been in and seem doubtful but don't say anything.

Makoto suddenly wonders if Ranma and Hotaru were making out right now in her room. They all look at each other rand Usagi and Minako grin evilly. "Alright, let's go look in their window."

Rei and Chibi-Usa smack them. "That's going too far!"

Ranma and Hotaru

Ranma and Hotaru are watching Shuu Hayase jump on TV. Hotaru had suddenly remembered that they were going to show the event and wanted to watch it. She had been really excited.

The TV announces that Hayase had set a new record. Hotaru beams. "Isn't he amazing Ranma?"

Ranma acts nonchalant. Why was Hotaru so interested in this guy? "his form's pretty good I guess, but he didn't jump that high. And I don't see why he doesn't just jump those hurdles or whatever two at a time instead of just one."

Hotaru smiles and turns off the TV: "I know Ranma, you're amazing too. But Hayase… he was born weak and sickly but still managed to become so strong. I think that's really amazing too and it makes me think that maybe… maybe even I could…" Hotaru trails off.

Ranma realizes with a bit of annoyance that she's staring off, probably thinking about that guy. "I didn't have it all that great either you know?" He says.

Hotaru giggles and looks back at Ranma. "Are you jealous Ranma?"

Ranma is indignant: "What?! No way, I could kick that guy's ass any day!"

Hotaru smiles softly. "That's not what I meant Ranma,,,"

Ranma: "Then what do you mean huh?"

Hotaru says nothing but turns off the TV and scoots up next to Ranma, resting her head against his shoulder.

Ranma tenses up and looks at Hotaru who was staring ahead with those eyes of hers. What was she doing? Ranma shifted uncomfortably.

Hotaru turns and pulls away from Ranma, looking at him a little sadly. "You're so tense Ranma, what's wrong?"

Ranma shifts and looks away, not sure what to say. "nothing…" he mumbles

Hotaru bites her lower lip softly: "Do you hate me Ranma?"

Ranma: "What?! No! Of course not! It's just, you know…" he trails off, lost for words after his initial firm denial.

Hotaru is silent and after a moment, takes Ranma's shoulders. Sliding on to his lap she starts to gently push him down.

Ranma's brain implodes and he keeps flashing back to Minako doing the same thing to him. His heart is starting to pound and his body is tense all over. He feels his shoulders touch the ground and realizes he's lying on his back now. Hotaru is looking down at him expressionlessly. She locks eyes with him, those deep, dark eyes that seem to suck him in, and slowly begins to lean towards him.

His face heats up. No! He starts to push up but abruptly stops when he realizes that Hotaru is grinning at him with something akin to evil sadism. "Gotcha" she says.

Ranma blinks then notices that Hotaru had straddled him. And that she had let go of his shoulders. In fact, her hands were… Ranma's eyes widen as he realized what was happening. "You!"

Hotaru laughs and starts tickling Ranma.

Ranma's body starts shooting with electricity and he bursts out laughing. He feels Hotaru's hands running over his body again. He starts to push himself up and Hotaru slides her hands all the way up his shirt, reaching for neck. He drops back down laughing uncontrollably.

Hotaru looks down at Ranma and realizes she had pulled his shirt up a bit when she had pushed her hands up. She pauses as she realizes this was the first time she had seem Ranma's chest. It was smooth and well cut and she blushes as she looks at it.

"Gotcha!" Hotaru blinked and saw Ranma grinning at her with an arm crossed over his chest. She tries to tickle him but with her arms locked like that it wasn't nearly so effective. She gets an idea and grabs Ranma's shirt with her mouth, pulling it up as far as she could

Ranma: "H-he! What are you doing?!"

She gently brushes Ranma's stomach with her lips and he nearly screams, she takes in his smell and the warm, hard yet soft feeling of his body against her cheeks. It seems he's very sensitive to this act and starts really thrashing, half laughing and screaming though she tried to push him down with her chest. She kisses his chest softly and he lets her go with a scream, trying to jump back.

Hotaru lets him go and rolls off, dashing towards her bed.

Ranma for his part is breathing heavily. He sits up, one hand clutching his chest. What was she, some kind of monster? He didn't know what was going on but it seemed she knew exactly what to do to him—it was like she was playing with him. Slowly, he tries to regain his composure, trying shove away the feeling of Hotaru's lips against his chest that was even now still lingering.

A pillow suddenly hits his head and slides down. Pushing it aside, he takes a deep breath and jumps to his feet. "What the heck was that?!"

He sees Hotaru standing across the room smirking at him, her legs spread in a loose stance with one pillow clutched to her chest and the other held by her head, pointed towards him. "Let's fight Ranma. If you get a secure pin, I'll give it to you." She winks at him.

Ranma eyes her incredulously: "You can't be-" another pillow hits his face.

Hotaru: "That's two!"

Ranma tchs: "You asked for it!" He dashes towards Hotaru, who throws the third pillow at him and dives onto her bed, scrambling for the other side.

Ranma yanks the blanket partially out from under her, causing her to stumble. As he yanks it again though, she pushes herself forward and rolls off the bed onto her feet. She spins around to stick her tongue at him but all she can see is the blanket flying towards her.

The next thing she feels is Ranma tackling her to the floor, though he broke her fall by landing on his side and keeping off the ground.

He tightens his grip around her and she smiles as she tries to make his face out through the threading of the blanket. All she can see though is diffuse light and a large shadow that she knew was him.

"Secure pin, right?" Ranma asks, that edge of cockiness once again in his voice.

She giggles and pulls her knees up a little, trying to curl up against him. This wasn't really a secure pin but she didn't care. Even if she couldn't see his face, she was happy. This was the first time Ranma had held her like this, relaxed and at ease. She closed her eyes and pressed a little closer to him. This was nice…

Suddenly, Ranma rolls her onto her back and lets go. He pulls the blanket off and she blinks up at his solemn face. "Ranma?"

Ranma: "Before we were even… but I owe you for tickling me just now."

"What?!" Hotaru's face filled with a mixture of fear and disbelief that melted away with laughter as Ranma started tickling her.

Kaolinite

Kaolinite glances up the stairs towards Hotaru's room. Those two were laughing so loud she could even hear them from the entrance to the lab. That girl… Kaolinite rolled her eyes. Whatever. The professor seemed to support it

It was too bad that laughing meant they weren't having sex. If they were, she might have felt the need to unexpectedly appear with some coffee. She chuckles at the thought of what that girls face would look like if she did _that_.

Hotaru and Ranma

Hotaru smiles as she lays on top of Ranma, her head resting on his chest. She could hear the sound of his heart, finally beating normally after slowly down from all that activity. It was a clam, steady rhythm that was comforting to hear. She reaches a hand out and feels his side. Relaxed. "See Ranma, you're not tense anymore."

Ranma: "Is that your excuse for attacking me?"

Hotaru lets out a soft laugh. "Kind of…"

Ranma: "Really?"

Hotaru: "Before, when you were so tense and looked at me with those scared and nervous eyes… it reminded me of how you looked when you talked about the Nekoken. It… hurt a little, seeing you look at me like that."

Ranma flinches a little and mutters an apology and starts to get up. But Hotaru gently pushes him down.

Hotaru: "Let's stay like this for a little bit Ranma… just a little…"

Ranma lies back down and Hotaru smiles, closing her eyes and letting her drift away with the sound of his heart, beating in time with hers. "Thank you Ranma…"

Hotaru Asleep

"Hotaru?" Ranma asks. "Hotaru? Are you awake?"

The girl on top of him didn't say anything. Ranma smiles. Geez, she really had fallen asleep.

Ranma gently gets up and tucks Hotaru into bed. He looks down at her face, sleeping contently. She looked… beautiful. He wipes a strand of hair out of her face and then, a little regretfully, he turns and starts to leave. As he reaches the door however, he stops. Better not go this way. Turning off the lights he heads towards the window. He opens it and climbs up. "Sweet dreams Hotaru," he says, glancing back at her one last time. And then he was gone.

Kaolinite

A few minutes later, Kaolinite comes in. She frowns, disappointed that there was nothing there. Hotaru was sleeping peacefully and that boy was nowhere to be seen. She sighs and looks down at the whip she had brought to scare them. Oh well, another time perhaps.

Chapter 39

Ranma and Genma [Genma's POV].

Genma is sparring with Ranma on the roof. The fight had lasted far longer than he had expected, as it had been for the past week. Ranma's focus was incredible and he darted in and around with incredible skill, launching daring combos and even using the terrain to his advantage. At times he even seemed to be toying with Genma.

Right now, for example, he was standing on the edge of the roof taunting Genma to come attack. He was playing a very dangerous game… While it was true that the drop below served as a kind of wall limiting Genma's attack and maneuver options, Ranma's own risk of falling to his death was very real. Actually, if it were a normal martial artist it would've been downright suicidal to try such a risky tactic that yielded so few benefits. But Genma had to admit that Ranma's footwork, balance, and maneuverability were all superb. Combined with his current confidence and focus, it was almost frightening. Almost.

Because he knew Ranma was also counting on him to hold back because he didn't want to knock his son over. That was why he was standing on the literal edge of the abyss rather than a little bit in front of it. That tight stance on the narrow edge, almost just standing up with his knees slightly bent and that grin. The boy was actually daring him to attack!

Ranma: "What're you waiting for old man? Your retirement?"

Genma smirks and pushes his glasses up. "Foolish boy… you're underestimating me."

Ranma: "You're a lot of talk but not a lot of action, pops. C'mon, or are you scared?"

Genma grins and slowly walks backwards, Ranma eyeing him curiously, until he was about 30 feet away from Ranma. He then pulls back a leg, crouching slightly.

Ranma: "About time pops, I was starting to fall asleep."

Genma lets out a piercing shout that actually makes Ranma wince and charges forward.

Ranma's eyes widen. The old man was charging him full throttle! What the heck, was he crazy? NO way! It had to be a bluff. Ranma grit his teeth and waited for Genma. He would back off… he would back off…

"Shit!" Ranma cursed as Genma got within 15 feet of him without showing any signs of slowing. With that much momentum there was no way he could back out now, he really was going to kill them both! He could dodge, get out of the way but then the old man would definitely fall to his death! Damn it, only one choice!

Ranma crouches down and launches himself at Genma. He was too high to get it directly, but if he could take out the legs…! Ranma collides into Genma, wrapping his arms around Genma's torso. AS expected, Genma's momentum still carried them forward but he wrapped his legs around Genma's and desperately squeezed while twisting his body as hard as he could.

It worked and the two ended up in a painful roll towards the edge of the roof. They were still going too fast, but… as they went over the side of the roof, Ranma grabbed the ledge with one hand while holding Genma under the armpit with the other.

His shoulder strained and his bones creaked as they jolted to a painful stop that wrenched a scream from Ranma, but hey were alive. Grunting, Ranma slowly pulled them back up.

They both rolled over onto their backs and stared at the sky.

"Oh man…" Ranma thought. For a moment he had seen his life flash before his eyes. His heart was still pounding in his chest and felt a little jittery.

Ranma slowly gets to his feet and looks at Genma, who is also lying on his back, breathing heavily.

Genma looks at Ranma and grins. "Not bad Ranma, you-"

Genma is cut off by Ranma stomping on him. "You stupid old man! What the hell were you thinking, you almost died! I almost died! What would've happened if I hadn't done that huh?! I should just kill you right now!"

Genma and Setsuna

Genma nurses a few bruises a he watches Ranma grab the quick breakfast they had left on the roof and hops over the side, heading to school. "See you later old man! Don't do something stupid and die okay?"

Setsuna appears, laughing. "That was quite a satisfying pounding Ranma gave you. Even you have to admit it though, you deserved it. It's been awhile since I've seen that reckless Genma Saotome from the old days. What would you have done if he hadn't reacted like that hrm?"

Genma smirks and yanks Setsuna so that she stumbles forward a little. She looks down and her eyes widen in surprise she sees Genma's belt somehow looped snugly around her waist.

"This old man still has some tricks up his sleeve, Setsuna."

Setsuna smiles and undoes the belt, tossing it back to Genma. "Apparently so. But you seem unusually happy for somebody nursing a bruise the size of your son's foot."

Genma laughs. "Don't you get it Setsuna? This was the first time the boy's ever beaten me. Before he came here, actually even up until the very moment he jumped at me I would've never expected the boy to be able to react so decisively in such a situation. I know he wouldn't have dodged and let me fall, but I expected him to freeze. Instead, today he managed to bring together a sound mind, body, and most importantly, heart to do the right thing and beat me. I always thought the first time he beats me would just be in a normal fight, skill and youthful strength finally overcoming age. But today he overcame the weaknesses within his heart and beat me in such a situation. Right now… I'm really proud of my son."

Setsuna looks at Genma thoughtfully and then turns around and leaves. "So am I, Genma. Of you too."

The BBB

Several days later.

"Ranma! Behind you!" Ryoga's voice came to him over the noise and din of the battle like a sudden gust on a windy day, clear and distinct through all the confusion. He only had to glance at the Lost Boy once—the direction he looked, the way he leaned a little to one side, one shoulder a bit tight—to know that it was a punch coming from behind his right shoulder. He ducks down and kicks backwards at where he thought the enemy's face was. Coming from below like that, his foot shot past all of his foe's defenses and collided solidly with his face, sending him flying. Ranma catches something in the corner of his eye and jumps up, twisting to his left. He blocks the wide punch with his elbow while slamming the back of his fist into side of his attacker's face and following up with a right uppercut that sent him flying into another group of three that was running towards him.

His original opponent, meanwhile, should be up about now. Glancing to his right, sure enough he sees his yellow-haired opponent running at him. Ranma just pulls up his right leg and lashes out with a sidekick that sends him hurtling into another guy that had managed to break through and was running for the middle. The body flies past Takeru who, punches another bloody face to the ground and takes a moment to grin at Ranma and flash him a thumbs up.

Ranma barely has time to return a smirk and get back on his feet before he hears Etsuya shout to him "Ranma! Three more incoming!" Ranma is already dashing towards Ryoga, who has cupped his hands, while three of his classmates rushed in to cover him.

"Three curry breads coming up now!"

"Stop him!" two students manage to burst through the rough defensive lines, making a mad dash towards Ranma. Shit, he didn't have time for this, but they were about to intercept him.

Osamu's giant frame suddenly appears in front of the two students and he shoves them back with his broad shoulders. Ranma nearly stops as he sees three more students break through and go for Osamu but the giant bellows at him "Go on Ranma, we're counting on you!"

Ranma grits his teeth and closes that last 10 feet to Ryoga. Kicking off his left leg, he jumps onto the Lost Boy's hands and right as the lunch lady throws the precious bread Ryoga pushes Ranma up and he hurtles into the air towards the bread. Perfect trajectory again! For someone with such a bad sense of direction, Ryoga was spot on with the bread.

Ranma catches two of the airborne lunches with his hands and the third one with his mouth before he begins falling down. Twisting so that this back was towards the ground, he looked back at where he had jumped off, that little circle in the sea of blue bodies and threw the two breads in his hand towards it. He grinned as he saw a figure he knew was Mitsuo catch them.

Now the hard part. Ranma rebounds against the wall and launches himself back towards the middle. He didn't have quite enough power to make it all the way this time but he pushed it as far as he could and aimed for a spot with a lot of bodies. He crashes into them, knocking them down but breaking his fall. The bread still in his mouth, he jumps to his feet, now trapped behind enemy lines.

"Two chicken breads coming up!" Ranma glances in the lunch lady's direction. Etsuya would either send Ryoga or Koki to take care of that. Right now he had to get through these guys.

A solid circle had formed around him now, 2nd years mostly it seemed. Even though he was alone, they recognized him and hesitated. They knew his reputation and had seen him fight. They knew he was a wolf among sheep but still they eyed the plastic-wrapped bread shining beckoningly in his mouth, thinking to themselves that maybe a flock of sheep could overwhelm a single wolf.

One of the students charge at Ranma and then the rest followed with a piercing scream. Ranma blocks the first attack and kicks the guy away. Then they were on him. He cuts through them, narrowly dodging hits and blocking others. It was tough but they were stupid and getting in each other's way, their attacks hardly synchronized.

He fights as best he could, slowly making his way back towards the front lines, but there seems to be no end to the supply of enemies. As soon as he knocked down one, two more would seem to rush into his place, all screaming with thirsty greed for that bread glinting like gold in his mouth.

A lucky hit unbalances him and he stumbles a little, nearly dropping. He doesn't but is pushed on the defensive. Then, all of a sudden, Ranma is forced to the ground by a mad lunge from some student who is repaid dearly with a vicious elbow to the head. Ranma barely kicks the lunatic off of him however before three more jump up in front of him. Shit!

Suddenly, he hears a giant, piercing roar that seems to shake the earth itself and then Ryoga and Osamu barrels through the three, mowing them down. Etsuya and Koki help him up and Etsuya asks him "Are you alright Ranma?"

Ranma takes the bread out of his mouth and gives it to Koki, nodding. "Yeah, thanks."

Etsuya nods and then shouts out "Everybody, back the way we came! Osamu, Ryoga, you lead, Takeru and Masami guard the rear! The rest form a column around me and Ranma!"

Giving an earth-shaking cry, they charge back through the path they had come, leaving it strewn with the bodies of their enemies.

The Aftermath

All in all the battle had lasted for approximately half an hour and placed class 3-D in the annals of school legend. The structural problems—which some believe were intentional—that contributed to the outbreak of the battle included a consistent, year round lack of enough lunches to feed the entire student body, and the existence of a class-based system of meritocracy in which the classes with the highest grades got released 10 minutes early and the worst classes got released 10 minutes late for each grade level.

However, the immediate cause of the Bloody Bread Battle was an unprecedented order by the principal to release class 3-D, widely-known as the delinquent class, out 15 minutes early as a reward for their recent remarkable academic improvement, even though lunch would not start being served for another 5 minutes.

When the other classes arrived, they had felt cheated, as improvement didn't actually translate into higher absolute grades. Resentment boiled and turned into insults and the tension built until class 3-D, full of proud and aggressive young men, finally took such offence at this mockery of the honor given to them that they announced they would take all of the bread that day.

The early classes were shocked at this, but battle did not immediately break out, though they outnumbered 3-D three to one. 3-D was widely-known to be full of skilled fighters, including the two already legendary eternal rivals. When the first few bread lunches were thrown out and quickly captured by class 3-D, the other classes realized the danger they were in of going hungry and so attacked.

3-D fought bravely through the first 10 minutes of the battle, capturing most if not all of the bread. When the second group of classes came, they began to lose ground and were pushed back, but continued to capture over half of the bread, though taking many casualties. The other classes, though outnumbering 3-D 6-1 now, were limited in their ability to press their advantage as the bodies of their own piled up and began to impede their movement.

Then, all of a sudden somebody shouted out that the remaining classes, 1-D and 2-D were coming to join the fight. Class 3-D, having already lost many of their own, some only still able to fight by leaning against the mounds of their fallen enemies, grit their teeth and prepared for the last onslaught. Some say that they even began to plan a retreat.

But then with a resounding shout, classes 1-D and 2-D rushed into the enemy flanks, attacking the other classes and joining with the besieged 3-D. Long considered delinquent classes themselves, many of them even siblings of 3-D students, they easily identified with 3-D

Suddenly finding themselves pressed by the fresh troops of 1-D and 2-D from behind while the fearsome legendary warriors of 3-D wreaked havoc with renewed vigor, the enemy forces fell apart and were crushed in vicious hand-to-hand fighting.

When the battle finally ended, the enemy was limping away in retreat and the "delinquent" classes, many only standing with the help of a comrade, let out a thunderous cry of victory that shook the very foundations of the school.

Surprisingly, despite all the violence that occurred, class 3-D was let out early again the next day. Once again, they claimed all the bread that day, but this time the other classes, still crippled and licking their wounds, declined to challenge them. Class 3-D would continue to be let out early for the entire week, in fact, and many students from that time still bitterly remember that time as the Week of Famine.

However, all the boys from class 3-D, and even some from 1-D and 2-D have become immortalized as heroes. To this day, if you go to Shibakouen Junior High in Juuban district, Tokyo you can still hear students whisper in awed tones the names and stories of the legends of that time. Names like Bloody Knuckle Takeru, who fought until his hands were drenched in the blood of his enemies, and Osamu the Giant who could sweep aside three men with the back of his hand. Stories like that of Etsuya Takemago, the genius among fighters who commanded and held class 3-D together. Legends like Ryoga Hibiki, the Eternal Lost Boy, and Ranma Saotome, the Wild Stallion.

Minako Reading

Minako whacks the school newspaper writer who had shown them his rough draft for the article about the battle. "What the heck are you doing glorifying all that violence?!" she demanded as he rubbed his head. That big fight the other day had made her glad the school had a separate cafeteria for girls. Actually, thinking about the recent commotion even they were making, she was glad she usually brought her own lunch. "The week's not even through yet and you make it sound like it's already all over!"

The writer looks at Minako strangely. "Um… who are you? I just came here to talk to Etsuya and the others."

Minako whacks the guy again for asking a stupid question. "I'm their friend of course!" She looks over at Etsuya, who's happily munching on his second piece of bread. She twitches as Ryoga asks for another please and Ranma cheerfully hands him another while eating his third.

The newspaper writer tries to ask them a question, "Ah, excuse me, Takemago sir…"

Minako: "Huh? You're still here? Sailor V Kick!" she chases him off and sits down next to the others with a sigh.

It was just too weird seeing them get along like this. She asks them if the whole bread thing had really been that big a source of antagonism for them. Mitsuo cheerfully explains that there was no reason to fight now when life was so good. They had all they could eat of the finest Shibakouen Junior High's cafeteria could offer after all.

Ranma and Ryoga laugh and agree, cheerfully saying that they'd probably be back at each other's throats again when this was all over though. Each one says the other's still an idiot after all. They laugh.

Minako twitches and massages her head. Too weird.

Chapter 40

Ranma at Mugen

Ranma chews on his fifth piece of bread thoughtfully as he looks around Hotaru's classroom. There were students glancing at strangely and whispering to each other, but he didn't see Hotaru anywhere. It's rather strange, he thinks. He's always found her here before.

A student goes up to Ranma and asks if he was looking for Hotaru. He directs him to the soccer field. Ranma asks him "Hey, are you one of those guys who's scared of Hotaru?" he narrows his eyes at him and he stammers a no. Actually, he seems scared of Ranma now. Ranma thinks for a second and then smiles, slapping him on the shoulder. "That's great to hear. Here, you can have this, I'm pretty full." He gives the guy his partially-eaten breads his bread, thanks him and then hops backwards out the window with a wave.

The guy is left staring at the piece of bread while others run up to him. They start talking about bringing the bread to the chemistry lab so they can analyze it.

Ranma sees Hotaru

Ranma sees Hotaru from behind watching the boys play soccer with a group of other girls. She is shouting encouragement at them but telling them to not get injured too much either or she wouldn't heal them. One of the girls whispers something to Hotaru and she giggles. They start whispering to each other like schoolgirls exchanging gossip. They laugh together, a sweet and innocent sound that drifts to him across the field on the wind.

It occurs to him that he's never her like this, laughing and enjoying herself with a group of people he didn't know. He thinks back to the shy, lonely girl of so long ago and remembers how she had used to walk to school isolated and alone. Now she was sitting there with those very same classmates, looking like she had always been there.

He looks away, feeling a pang of nostalgia that just as quickly vanishes, drifting away on the wind along with her laughter. He smiles, feeling happy for her. She had really grown and changed for the better. And him… what was he doing here anyway? He didn't even remember anymore.

"Ranma!"

He jumps slightly and then realizes that Hotaru is staring at him, a slight smirk on her face. And even from this distance, she locks him with those eyes. Those deep, piercing ones that suck him in and seem as if they knew everything about him. As if they had been staring at him forever. As if she had always been by his side, since eternity first began.

Ranma and Hotaru

"Gotcha," Hotaru says, still smirking slightly as Ranma walks up to her. Her classmates had moved away, giving them an illusion of privacy, though they were still very well within earshot.

Ranma raises an eyebrow down at her and asks what she's talking about and Hotaru says he had been planning to sneak up on her hadn't he, but she had caught him. She punches him playfully and says she can't even let her guard down here at school.

Ranma rolls his eyes, and sits down. "Hah! You know I can sneak up on you whenever I want!"

Hotaru chews her lower lip: "When I'm taking a bath?"

Ranma twitches, feeling flustered: "You know what I mean!"

Hotaru laughs and leans against Ranma with a happy sigh. "It's good to see you Ranma…" They sit for a while, watching the soccer game.

Hotaru: "So were you getting bored at school? Miss fighting Ryoga?"

Ranma scratches his head: "Yeah, it's pretty quiet over there. Just thought I'd come by and, you know… see if you were doing anything fun."

Hotaru smiles. Silly Ranma. "Weren't you planning to kidnap me again?"

Ranma coughs. "Er… no…"

Hotaru turns and looks at Ranma. "Sorry Ranma, I'm a little busy right now, but…" she trails off, and her playful, confidant tone and face seems to break up for a moment, but she quickly recovers. "But how about a date later tonight?"

Ranma falls back, startled and Hotaru's classmates seem to have jumped at well, they were all staring at her and whispering to each other now.

As for Hotaru, she just stared straight at him, locking him with those eyes again. And though up to and even now she had seemed so playful, and confident, her smile never slipping off her face, as he looked into those eyes… yes, he saw it. It was still there, hidden just beneath the surface: that shy, insecure and scared little girl he had known was also looking at him, waiting for an answer.

Back at Shibakouen

Minako and the other guys are surprised to see Ranma back so early. They had expected him to be gone for the whole day, not actually come back in time for the end of lunch

He seems flustered and distracted as they talk to him. When he reveals he went to see Hotaru, they tease him. Finally he confesses that: "She… asked me… out… on a… date."

They are shocked and pounce on him, shaking him and asking for more details. He doesn't know what they were doing! They had just decided to meet at six!

Minako accuses of him trying to ruin Hotaru's first date and lets him go. Ranma was hopeless. Looks like it was up to Love Cupid Minako to save the day again.

Finding the Right Clothes

Minako hangs up the phone at Takeru's house. She had just taken care of the arrangements for transportation and activities. Now to see what Ranma was wearing.

Minako turns around and sees Etsuya and Takeru dressing up Ranma, whom they had just forced to bathe. Mitsuo is sitting with Ryoga and Osamu saying that was pretty easy.

Minako frowns at the casual dress. It was a striped shirt and some jeans. Minako: "Too casual!"

Takeru is annoyed, he wore simple stuff like this all the time. Minako insists that this is special though, and besides she had already told Usagi to go help Hotaru dress up more formally so they had no choice. Ranma is just standing there looking uncomfortable.

Minako starts ordering everybody around. She runs into the closet with Ranma and after a bit calls Osamu to help her get some boxes down. Takeru is staring in shock and Etsuya sighs.

Dressed for Success

Over an hour later Ranma is finally dressed and ready. Minako is standing there appraising Ranma. Takeru is sprawled on the ground looking shell shocked and Osamu is breathing heavily. There are clothes thrown about everywhere and it looks a storm has passed through the room.

Ranma is standing there looking tired and shifting uncomfortably in his navy blue suit and red patterned tie. She had even found a box of brand new leather wing tip shoes to go with them. Minako smiles as she looks at Ranma. She had tired various combinations and various degrees of casualness but this… well, it wasn't anything special, but…

Mitsuo says it first: "You look pretty good Ranma." Minako beams, doesn't he? Doesn't he? Ranma feels a little embarrassed.

Takeru gets up "Look what you did to my room!" Minako looks around and says oops, feeling just a little embarrassed now that she was out of her frenzy. "Sorry Takeru!"

The bell rings. Minako says it must be the others and goes to get it. Takeru says she acts like this was her house. Osamu says at least she didn't make him get it. Etsuya tries to cheer him up, saying this was for Ranma and Hotaru so it was okay. Takeru sighs.

Minako comes back up with Makoto, Rei and Ami, who look at Ranma for a bit, making him feel self-conscious. Ami says something's missing and Rei and Makoto look around the room and then goes dig in the closet for a little, making Takeru nervous. Finally, she comes out with a black, wool overcoat and put it on Ranma. Minako snaps her fingers. "Perfect!"

Dressed to Seduce

Back at Hotaru's, Hotaru is in her room with Chibi-Usa and Usagi. It hadn't taken long to find a good outfit for her. Hotaru was very tasteful, despite having mostly darker colors. Usagi had wanted her to "dress to seduce" but most of Hotaru's clothes were rather conservative. Usagi kept searching for something that showed a little more skin and finally found a lovely dark purple velvet cap-sleeved v-neck dress that went down to her knees. They added a pair of fluorite studs that sparkled green and purple.

Hotaru's shoes were even less diverse than her clothing and Usagi had almost decided to rush home to get a flashier, more glamorous pair but Chibi-Usa had pointed to her deflation that her feet were bigger than Hotaru's. But fortunately, Chibi-Usa managed to dig out a beautiful pair of dark purple evening pumps with an ankle strap and fluorite pendent. Hotaru recalls suddenly that her father had bought it for her last year. Usagi then put on a splash of perfume for her and they sat on her bed talking.

Usagi is giving Hotaru dating advice while Chibi-Usa does damage control. Focus on Hotaru's excitement and how thankful she is for Usagi and Chibi-Usa's help.

After a few hours the bell rings and Usagi says that must be Mamoru. Time to go.

Chapter 41

Ranma's Departure

Ranma is standing outside Ryoga's house talking with the others and getting last minute advice. Etsuya and Mitsuo had to stand nearby and keep him in check to make sure he didn't mess up the clothes by doing something reckless like jump around, but surprisingly he doesn't irritate Ryoga or get into any fights.

Focus on Ranma's unusual nervousness.

Haruka pulls up and Ranma thanks the others for the advice and clothes. Rei gives him the tickets and tells him to make sure he doesn't lose it.

Ranma then leaves with Haruka.

Inside the car Haruka and Ranma talk and Haruka comments on how much Ranma's grown and teases him about Hotaru. In her mind though, she thinks briefly of Hotaru's strange powers. She really… shouldn't be helping them. But then again, he would've found a way anyway, and it felt nice being part of it.

After a 20 minute drive they arrive in a bustling down-town area. It's starting to get dark and Ranma is awed by all the activity and people

Haruka thinks Ranma's amazement is really cute and reassures him that he'll be fine and that he's better dressed than 90% of the guys out there too so he won't attract unwanted attention either.

They pull in front of a restaurant and Ranma starts worrying what to do but Haruka shoots down all the questions. Just go ask for his table. Ranma asks "But what if Hotaru was already there?"

Haruka: "Don't worry, nobody drives faster than me."

Haruka: "Just be yourself. Except don't cause any trouble or get into any fights. Show that girl of yours a good time. Remember, she's still the same person she always was!"

Ranma nods and thanks Haruka who heads out.

Haruka speeds off and Ranma looks at the restaurant. He felt alone and out of place. It was funny, actually. For once he was dressed normally and didn't stick out, but he was feeling more uncomfortable than ever. He realized it was because he was doing something he was completely unaccustomed to. Before he would've just been running around causing or getting out of trouble with his father. But now… he was supposed to show a girl a good time? And there was no fighting involved anywhere?

Heck, could he even fight in these clothes? On a whim he decides to hop up and down and then spin around and throw a punch. He scares a guy who runs away and people stop to look at him for a second cautiously, before moving on.

He smirks and puts his hands in his coat and walks towards the restaurant. It was a little tight, but he could still fight. Yeah, Haruka was right, what was he being so worried for? He and Hotaru were still the same people. They were two friends going to have fun. Sure he was a little dressed up, but that didn't change anything about him and Hotaru. Everything would be fine.

Hotaru Arrives

Ten minutes later Ranma ate his words as he saw Hotaru come in. She was beautiful in her dark silk dress that seemed as deep and rich as her eyes, which sparkled with her earrings and shoes. She walked over to him, a graceful vision of beauty, smiling as she locked eyes with him. A waiter asked her for her jacket and she gives it to him. She stopped in front of the table and looked Ranma over.

Ranma suddenly felt inadequate in his drab blue suit that had felt extravagant just a few hours before.

"Ranma… you look amazing!"

Ranma is taken aback. "Huh? Really… um, thanks. Minako and the others picked it for me…" he trailed off feeling a little stupid as he said that. But Hotaru says that's great. Usagi and Chibi-Usa had helped her pick these. She twirls quickly and Ranma flushes a little. "Do you like it?"

Hotaru looks at Ranma and as she stared at him with those eyes he thought had they always sparkled like that all those other times she had stared into him?

He saw in his mind Hotaru lonely, sad, happy, excited, determined, scared, worried, content. All different looks, different feelings but he realized that yes… throughout all those times they had sparkled just like that. Just like they were now. This was Hotaru. His friend.

"Yeah, " Ranma says with a smile, feeling his anxiety melt away. "You look great. You always do."

Hotaru flushed a little at the unexpected comment and sits down. "Thank you Ranma."

Wine

Ranma asks Hotaru how she knew the guy was only going to hold her jacket and not take it. He explains that when they asked for his coat he had though they were going to try to steal it. Hotaru laughs and asks Ranma why. He explains that he and Genma had been to restaurants before where they had tried to steal their stuff. Hotaru says she just made a lucky guess that Ranma would bring her to a reputable restaurant. She'd be more careful next time though.

Ranma eyes her suspiciously. "You're making fun of me aren't you?"

Hotaru smiles mirthfully and says maybe just a little.

The waiter comes and asks if they'd like to start off with some wine and Ranma shrugs. "Sure." Hotaru looks at him strangely, a half-smile on her face.

Ranma gets the waiter's recommendation and then is asked for some ID. Ranma is confused and begins to make a scene before Hotaru cuts in and just asks for some water.

Hotaru teases Ranma for his alcoholic tendencies. Didn't he know he was underage? Ranma rubs the back of his head and laughs. He didn't know wine had alcohol in it.

Ordering and Dinner

Ranma is shocked as he looks at the price on the menu. "30,000 yen?!"" He exclaims cooking at one of the items. Hotaru points out that was about the same price as when Haruka took them out. Ranma retorts that yeah, that was when HARUKA took them out.

Hotaru laughs and asks if he wanted her to pay for him. He is about to happily accept but then remember Minako telling him that he HAD to pay for this once since it was their first date, even if she had been the one who asked him out since he was "planning" all of it. So Ranma says no, he'll pay for them both. Hotaru is surprised but says ok, that's very kind of you Ranma.

They talk about what they were going to order and start teasing each other. [Maybe: Ranma asks Hotaru if she was going to order goldfish. Hotaru shoots back what about him? Cat? Ranma acks! And Hotaru giggles, saying sorry sorry, she was just kidding.]

In the end, Ranma orders lamb and Hotaru has some yellowtail fish.

The two talk and Ranma is surprised to find himself so at ease here with Hotaru in this strange place.

The meals come and Ranma is surprised and happy that it's really good, just like what he had with Haruka. Hotaru laughs and asks what did he expect for 30,000 yen? 32,000 yen he corrects. He says that the difference between now and last time was that now he was paying for it, which left the possibility of himself making a mistake, whereas before since he wasn't paying it didn't matter how good or bad the food is so he didn't care. Hotaru says that's pretty interesting logic.

She says her yellowtail is also good and offers him some. He accepts and likes it and considers ordering some for himself but Hotaru wonders if they had enough time. Ranma remembers the play and says "oh yeah" hey eat and talk about stuff.

Paying for Dinner

Dinner is done and Ranma looks at the bill with a sigh. Good thing they got water. Hotaru offers to pay again but he declines. Then he realizes that he left his wallet in his regular pants. Crap… He looks up at Hotaru who raises an eyebrow questioningly.

Downtown

Ranma and Hotaru walk out of the restaurant, Ranma apologizing to Hotaru and saying he'll pay her back. She says forget it, let's just say you owe me a favor okay? A 57,000 yen favor.

They go outside and still have a half hour left and decide to go look around the bustling street. At first they walk with Hotaru holding Ranma's arms feeling like another couple in the crowd but then Hotaru gets excited and runs around looking at things. Ranma gets interested too and they run around together. Then it's time for the play.

The Play

Hotaru and Ranma are at the play. They had pretty good seats, though it was a bit hard to see. Hotaru didn't care. In the dark room full of strangers, she felt alone with Ranma here it made all the difference. She drew closer to him and they watched the play.

Ranma seemed to really get into it and Hotaru liked it too—she liked theater—but she mostly spent the time thinking about Ranma and responding to his silly comments about the play. She wondered if he was thinking about her though.

Then during the intermission he comments that she smelled really nice by the way. She flushes and thanks Ranma. She didn't think he noticed. He says of course he did, he'd smelled it throughout the play. Actually, it was a little distracting. Actually she was a little distracting.

She teases that maybe she should leave but Ranma pulls her closer and says nope, no escape, you're stuck here with me! She smiles and leans back against Ranma again, saying nothing.

Downtown II

Ranma and Hotaru leave the theater talking about the play. Hotaru mentions that it's really cold and Ranma puts his coat around her. She feels warm inside, happy that she was with someone like this. Happy that she was with Ranma like this. They look around even though it was late there were still a lot of people everywhere. Hotaru wonders what they were going to do now. Was the date over already?

Ranma says let's walk around a little more and Hotaru agrees. She pulls a little closer to him. She couldn't hold his arm though so she finally wears the coat. It's too big for her and she asks him how she looks.

He says she looks cute. "That's it?" she says teasingly, taking his arm as they walk

Ranma: "What? What do you want me to say? You don't even fit it!"

Hotaru: "So I don't look cute, you were lying!"

Ranma: "Don't put words in my mouth!"

Hotaru: "I didn't, it was implied!"

The two walk off, their voices fading into the crowd and bustle. Two more people finding comfort in this lonely world with each other.

Cab Ride Home

Hotaru is leaning against Ranma contently on the cab that was taking them back. She was feeling a little tired now, but she couldn't remember ever being so happy before. They had walked around for nearly an hour doing various things [Make up some events: Ranma getting chased by a dog, shaking a stuffed animal machine and walking on the bridge]

[Flashback to the bridge where Ranma had walked on the side of it and caused a scare by tasting to hop and doing some flips. She had been scared too when he pretended to fall].

She hits him. That was for scaring her with that fall she says. Everybody had almost beaten Ranma to death for that stunt as well.

But all of that, every last moment of it, she had loved it.

Now she reflects on how nice it was to be alone with Ranma like this. Just the two of them (well besides the driver). She wanted this moment to last. To stretch out into forever. But all to soon they were back in Juuban and she could see the familiar streets and buildings whizzing by them.

Then they see Juuban Shizenkouen Park.

Hotaru: "That's our park!"

Ranma: "Huh?"

Hotaru: "Shizenkouen, the park we spent so much time together!

Ranma: "Oh yeah, I guess. Yeah, it is.

Hotaru: "Can we…?"

Ranma: "Well, you're paying."

Hotaru: "Stop here!"

Can't Steal My Heart

The two are walking through the park. It's dark and quiet, with only a few lamps here and there. Hotaru opens the coat Ranma put on her and shares it with him. Wrapped inside with him she feels safe and secure and warm.

They walk and talk about all the things they've done here. It's hard to believe they all occurred in just the last few months

Hotaru suddenly stops. "That spot! That's our spot!"

Ranma blinks. "We have a spot?" Hotaru tugs him towards the area by the lake and says, "This spot, don't you remember?"

Ranma blinks, a blank look on his face.

Hotaru: "This is where we were skipping stones, where you were when I left the dance, and where you were when you were in your cat form…"

Ranma gives a faint half-smile: "That wasn't all that great…"

Hotaru bites her lips. "I know what you mean Ranma, but … they were important. To me at least."

Ranma doesn't say anything and Hotaru looks about the lonely scenery. [Add in what she was thinking when she first saw Ranma here too]. She had come that night and saw Ranma hidden in the moonlight. She remembered how badly she had wanted to reach out to him then but couldn't. And then later, she had held the frail and vulnerable Ranma in her arms like a child, and finally been allowed to peer inside of him. Those were all important memories. Now she was here again, standing by his side holding onto his arm and warming herself against his body. What was going to happen now? Or what did it mean now? The entire night they had spent together, what had it meant?

She looked around. It was dark and gloomy, despite the nocturnal beauty of the moonlit waters. If she had been alone… but right now, her heart was beating calmly.

Ranma: "You know, this was also the place where I fought that daimon, the one that…"

Hotaru looked up at Ranma, sensing his slight shift to a darker mood. "Yeah, it is…" she says.

Ranma looks around. "It's so dark out here Hotaru, I don't like it. But all I'm really scared of is something happening to you. What if… what if they managed to steal your crystal heart huh? What would I do then?"

She felt him tense up and drew back closer to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. Silly Ranma… always so worried about her. She smiles softly and says "You don't have to worry about that Ranma, they couldn't possibly steal my heart, no matter how hard they tried."

Ranma looks at Hotaru, a confused look on his face. "What're you talking about?"

Hotaru listens to the sound of Ranma's heart. Calm, like hers, despite how close they were.

Hotaru: "They couldn't possibly take my heart Ranma… because you already have it."

Ranma blinks, confused for a second. Then, a panicked look crosses his eyes and he starts patting himself down. "What?! When did I get it? What are you doing giving me something so important!"

Hotaru steps away, laughing softly. That worried look on his face… for her but not because of her. She liked it a lot better that way.

Stepping in front of Ranma, she pulled the coat back around him. He continued to pat himself down. "Don't tell me it's in-"

Hotaru places a finger on his lips and he stops, looking down at her questioningly.

Closing her eyes, she learned towards him, up on her toes and dropping her hands to his shoulders. Her chest pressed against his and she could feel that his heart was beating faster now, but so was hers. Feeling the warmth of his face near hers, she titled her head to a side just a bit and with one last tiny push, pressed her lips against his.

Under the moonlight, by the lake, two lovers for a moment entwined as one. An insecure and uncertain moment seemed to slow down and then stretch into eternity, fluttering gently in place like a coat in the wind. [Fluttered in place as if caught against the wind].

Chapter 42

Ranma's Interrogation

Ranma is at school being interrogated by Minako, Ryoga and a few of his classmates

Minako: "What do you mean you don't know whether or not she's your girlfriend or not?! It's a yes or no question!"

Ranma: "I mean, it's not like she said hey I'm your girlfriend now or something."

Minako: "That's not how it works!"

Ranma: "Then how does it work?"

Minako trails off, not really knowing what to say. "You… you just know!" What was most frustrating, however, was Ranma's seeming lack of interest in the matter. Yesterday he had been nervous but now it was like he wasn't even listening to her and just staring off into space. Wait, did that mean… "Was it a bad date?"

Ranma: "Nah, it was great. Thanks for the help by the way, everybody. I really appreciate it."

Minako smacks herself

Hotaru's Interrogation

Hotaru is also being interrogated by a bunch of her friends at Mugen and Mashiro.

Hotaru: "Well, it was just a date right?"

Seiko: "What exactly did you say to him? Did you ask him out out or just out on a date?"

Hotaru blinks and thinks about it. "I think… it was just a date."

Mashiro and the others sigh. "Why are you so detached about this? Weren't you ecstatic yesterday?!"

Hotaru shrugs: "I am happy. Really." She smiles.

Sighs of frustration. Seiko: "Did you at least kiss?"

Ranma's Interrogation II

Ranma: "Well, yeah. At the lake." He says absently.

Minako lunges at him with a scream while the others begin kicking him. "Why didn't you say something so important sooner?!"

Ranma acks and begs for mercy.

Hotaru's Interrogation II

Everybody screams at Hotaru. Seiko: "Then that means you're definitely going out!"

Hotaru puts a hand to her lips and thinks. "But… didn't you say you kissed boys all the time? And you've never had a boyfriend."

Seiko: "That's different! You're not that type of girl! Unless… did you kiss him first or did he kiss you?"

Hotaru thinks for a second. "I did."

Everybody: "then you're definitely going out!"

Hotaru frowns. "But what if he doesn't think the same?"

Ranma's Interrogation III

Ranma weakly raises a hand after they stopped beating on him. "B-But… she kissed me first…"

They yell at him: "Shut up! You're going out with Hotaru and that's that!"

Ryoga adds in another kick. "And that's for taking my bread. Cur."

Hotaru's Interrogation III

Mashiro finishes the summary: "So you asked him out and he accepted, indicating initial interest on both parts. He then took you out on a romantic, expensive date, indicating strong affection, to which you responded in an affirmative with your kiss and he acknowledged by reciprocating and in conclusion you two are therefore going out."

Hotaru thinks about it a little and smiles. "I guess you're right. Ranma's my boyfriend." The sunlight frames her face.

They Meet

Ranma is walking somewhere by himself after school. He keeps glancing back because he thinks somebody's following him but he doesn't see anything.

After a while he reaches a spot and stops. Here, this was about right. If his timing was correct, and of course it was, then any minute now, right around this corner.

Hotaru rounds the corner and beams as she sees him. She runs up and jumps into his arms.

They walk and Hotaru asks "Ranma, about last night…"

Ranma coughs, flushing a little. "Yeah?"

Hotaru: "We're…" she trains off and looks at him He looks down and is about to say we're what but then smiles and says "Yeah,"

Hotaru beams and leans against his shoulder, walking down the street with him [Scene description: sunny, trees on the side, leave etc. fluttering down. Wall on right side].

Suddenly Ryoga and the Senshi including Chibi-Usa jump out and yell/congratulate them. Ryoga and Minako are yelling at Ranma for playing with them earlier. He had known all along what his relationship with Hotaru was. Chibi-Usa is very happy for Hotaru and Usagi welcomes her to the people who have boyfriends club. Rei whacks her for making stupid clubs.

[Scene description: Rei/Usagi fighting, Ranma laughing as Minako chases him. Makoto hugging Ryoga, Chibi-Usa pulling Hotaru after Ranma, Ami standing with Etsuya and laughing. Mitsuo leaning back against a tree. Osamu staring at everybody. Takeru grinning as he tries to block Ranma.]

Chapter 43

Planetarium [see episode 119]

Ranma, Ryoga, Hotaru, Chibi-Usa and the Senshi are at the Planetarium watching DJ Thomas Harris tell the story of Princess Andromeda. Hotaru is enthralled by the story of the Princess being rescued by Peruses.[Introduce some WAFF here between Ranma and Hotaru concerning the story].

The Inner Senshi see Setsuna and goes to talk to her, as in the anime. She reveals to them the nature of their enemy and tell them about the Messiah of Silence. She shows them Rei's dreams. She tells them the messiah of Silence is Sailor Saturn. [Basically copy the anime].

A daimon attacks and Ranma, Ryoga and Hotaru are hiding in the back. Ranma wants to go fight but stops when Hotaru takes his hand urgently. She doesn't say anything but he stops because he can tell by the way she was looking at him and the tenseness in her hand and eyes that she was really scared about something. She was getting a bad feeling. Then Ryoga attacks and Ranma has to go. Hotaru tells him to be careful. Ranma squeezes her hands and says of course.

The fight goes well. Ranma is everywhere and nowhere and really pissing Mimete off. Then the Inners and Tuxedo Mask appear.

Hotaru has an attack and Chibi-Usa runs to get help but is stopped by Uranus who says to just watch. Last time, nothing had happened and she hoped this time nothing would either, but…

Hotaru is revealed as the Sailor Saturn, freezing the daimon which Sailor Moon promptly kills.

Everybody is shocked except Ranma and Ryoga who are just confused. The Outer Senshi hesitate but then Michiru does her deep submerge and the others follow with their attacks.

Ranma runs to get her and is afraid he might not make it but Ryoga throws some equipment at the attacks, disrupting the first. Sailor Moon scoops Hotaru to safety.

Uranus and the Outers start talking about how dangerous Hotaru is but then Ranma attacks and gets a good hit in before falling back. Ryoga joins in and the two face off with the Outers. They start to attack when the Inners intervene to stop them. Venus uses her chain to pull Ranma back by an arm. They argue.

Kaolinite appears and takes Hotaru. Ranma tries to ask her what's going on but she just makes some cryptic, chilling remarks.

Ranma throws Venus at the Outers and runs off while Ryoga stalls them.

Ranma vs. Kaolinite

Ranma is running towards Hotaru's house and sees Kaolinite teleporting from roof to roof ahead. He redoubles his efforts, sprinting as fast as he can.

He gets to the house and has a conversation with Kaolinite about what the hell's going on before fighting with her.

He is defeated by overwhelming power as Kaolinite draws energy and summons daimon eggs from the lab. She says it was foolish of him to fight her here. He manages to do a Ki blast in desperation, shocking and injuring Kaolinite but then is blasted by a giant… blast… [Think of something better] out of the house, through several buildings and knocked unconscious.

Chapter 44

332\. Ranma Wakes Up

Ranma wakes up at his home the next day badly injured with Genma watching over him. Ranma immediately starts getting up to go to Hotaru's house. He stumbles because of the pain but still tries to go. Genma starts to stop him but he is so determined Genma finally says he'll take Ranma there himself.

The Empty House

Ranma is at Hotaru's house searching for her. He goes through the empty rooms seeing her everywhere, but she's not there. The house is completely empty but he runs into Chibi-Usa and Setsuna. He's too distracted to notice Setsuna but collapses when Chibi-Usa says Hotaru isn't here. Ranma starts half-crying, asking what the hell was going on and damn it why was he so weak? Why couldn't he even protect her? What the hell was it all for if he couldn't even protect her?!

Chibi-Usa hugs him and Genma locks eyes with Setsuna darkly.

The Empty Roof

Ranma is sitting on Hotaru's roof feeling lonely and useless. Chibi-Usa had fallen asleep and Setsuna had taken her home and Genma had left after Ranma had said he wanted to stay here. He sits thinking about all the times he sat there before, but Hotaru had always been just on the other side of the window. Now he felt so alone. In this cold without any warmth. He hugged his knees and thought wasn't it just a little while ago that he had seen her? It starts to rain and he thinks it feels strange to have water running down his face. This felt like a bad dream. He closed his eyes and wonder if Hotaru would be there when he woke up.

Genma and Setsuna

Genma and Setsuna are on the roof of her building talking. Genma demands to know what happened. It wasn't just another daimon fight was it? Setsuna finally asks if Genma believes in fate—that the same things could happen over and over again. She makes references to the past. Finally she says: "That boy is in love with a girl who must die."

Genma is shocked, flashing back to all his memories of his past with Setsuna [focus on images of Soun and Kimiko]. Then, he is extremely angry but he stops as he sees Setsuna crying. "Look Genma… it's raining."

Genma is silent and then turns away determinedly.

Chapter 45

Ranma and Ryoga

Ranma is at a restaurant with Ryoga. They are having a surprising breakfast on Ryoga. They recount what happened and speculate on what is going on. Ryoga is shocked at Ranma's sadness. He's sad too but Ranma looks devastated. Ryoga reassures him that he did his best and that they'll figure this out together. Ranma nods and thanks Ryoga, making some half-hearted insult.

The two decide the Senshi are somehow involved in this and that they have to find them but don't know how to start. They sigh and eat breakfast and then walk around. They don't feel like going to school. Finally, Ryoga suggests they go to Mugen to look for some clues. Ranma perks up and agrees.

Inner Senshi at Mugen

The inner Senshi are also wandering around Mugen. Recount their discoveries about the Professor from Mamoru's research and Setsuna's info [see episode 120]

Ranma and Ryoga at Mugen

Ranma and Ryoga are sneaking around Mugen Metal Gear Solid style (sneaking past guards, taking out cameras etc.). He feels strange and is sure something was going to happen here. [focus on Mugen's oppressive atmosphere]

Mimete's Death [see episode 120]

Mimete is killed by Tellu and the Outers who are watching comment on what a cruel and heartless enemy the Death Busters are. They turn around and start to leave only to see an enraged Ranma attack them.

Ranma vs. Outers

Ranma fights desperately, screaming at the Outers to tell him where Hotaru is. Ranma and Ryoga fight furiously and the Outers are trying not to hurt them. Ranma is simultaneously frustrated at his inability to take out the Senshi and enraged at his own weakness. He starts getting sloppy and making stupid mistakes. His worry and fear for Hotaru is overcoming his senses.

Inner Senshi interfere and Ranma and Ryoga start to fight them too. He notices they're outnumbered and he's really screwing up as his fear for Hotaru builds up.

The Mugen security forces start attacking and everybody disperses.

Ryoga gets injured and Ranma does some crazy Ki technique at the outers even in the midst of the gunfire, which they counter with their own attacks. When the dust settles, Ranma and Ryoga are gone.

The Escape

Ranma is helping Ryoga escape the building, knocking out security guards and such. The lost Boy is injured in his thigh from one of the Senshi's attacks. Ranma is gritting his teeth as they finally got outside. Damn it… they had lost… of course they had always relied on them before but… still, it didn't make defeat taste any better.

Chapter 46

Minako Visits

Minako comes sees Ranma at the apartment. He hadn't gone to school that day. He is training in the parking lot, pounding a punching bag into dust. There are scattered pieces of broken stuff all around.

Ranma says he spent the whole day searching for Hotaru. The two talk about Ryoga's injury and the Senshi. Ranma blames them but Minako tries to defend them.

Ranma says he doesn't really know what to think. It was Kaolinite that took Hotaru in the end, but the Senshi, or some of them anyway, had tried to kill Hotaru right? And both times… he was so… powerless… he looks at his hands and sees that they're shaking. "Minako… I'm scared…"

She hugs him and after a bit he asks if she could leave him alone.

She leaves, thinking they had to find Hotaru no matter what.

Senshi Meeting

The Senshi are having a meeting to discuss the situation. Minako reports Ranma's status and wonders if maybe they shouldn't tell him what's going on? The others are unsure and the cats finally say no. It was too dangerous to get him involved. And besides, telling him about Hotaru might make him feel even worse.

Everybody reluctantly agrees and Usagi starts crying. Why did everything have to be this way?

Haruka and Michiru

Haruka and Michiru are discussing Ranma and what to do. Haruka is still bruised from Ranma's punch. The tone is very serious and they decide that no matter what, Hotaru Tomoe had to be stopped. Even if she was someone important to Ranma, even though she was a Senshi. Sacrifices had to be made.

Genma and the Forbidden Techniques

"The tenseness of your muscles is robbing you of your reflexes. Your lost heart is dulling your reactions. What kind of martial artist are you, if you can't even overcome the fear within yourself?" [Use this quote as a mood guideline].

Ranma is sitting around feeling weak, pathetic… and scared.

Genma finds him and after a long while staring at him asks him, "Ranma, do you want to be strong?"

Ranma: "What do you want old man?"

Genma: "Right now Ranma, you're the most pathetic thing I've ever seen."

Ranma: "What?! Just say that one more time old man!"

Genma: "Wallowing in your own weakness like that, you don't have the right to call yourself my son!"

Ranma explodes and dashes towards Genma with lightning speed.

Genma: "Too slow boy!" Ranma finds himself flying and barely flips to his feet, feeling shocked that Genma had been able to stop him like that. He just barely ducks a strike by Genma. What was going on?

Genma: You're too tense! You're letting your emotions slow you down! I can't believe I raised such a weak son!"

Ranma grits his teeth and is barely holding his own against Genma. After skidding into a wall from a strike, he gets really frustrated and tries to use the ki technique he accidentally used from before.

Ranma: "This wasn't enough to save Hotaru… but at least I'll shut you up!"

Genma smiles as Ranma launches the ki technique. A huge explosion occurs and for a moment, Ranma is afraid he might have hurt his father.

Ranma: "P-Pops?"

Genma emerges from the dust, his shirt torn and a serious expression on his face. "Not bad boy, but if you want to protect those you love, you'll need more than that. Now… let me show you true strength."

Genma drops into the Umisenken stance Ranma's eyes widen as he senses the enormous power coming from his father. He drops, into his own stance, and grits his teeth, his breathing erratic and his arms shaking slightly. "Bring it on old man!"

Genma disappears and reappears behind Ranma, and the beating of his life begins.

Chapter 47

Ryoga at School

Ryoga stumbles into school and his classmates jump him. He wants to leave to continue searching for Hotaru and the Senshi but his classmates refuse to let him go until he tells them what's going.

Minako appears and they reveal to Etsuya and the others what's happened [focus on her trying to not show that she's a Senshi and knows too much].

Ryoga is comforted by his classmates' support and thinks he needs to see Ranma and work together with him. Minako says she'll take him there later.

The Training

Ranma is getting beat up in his Forbidden Technique training. He was getting the gist of it—the movements, but something was still missing. He had always been able to master in a few days any technique his father had taught him since he was little, but this was different.

Genma finally gives up, disgusted. He lectures Ranma on his lost and distracted heart. This was taking far too long for someone who called himself a Saotome. Ranma protests and gets beaten up. Genma tells him enough for the day. Go take a break and try to clear your head. Ranma grits his teeth and curses.

Trying to Convince Ranma

Ranma is sitting on his roof feeling lonely, useless and angsty in general. He keeps thinking and worrying about Hotaru. What if he loses her?

He sees Hotaru for a second: "You're not the only one that's worried about someone." She disappears as he calls to her "Wait, don't leave me here alone… like… like… [the cats]."

Ryoga, his classmates, and Minako appear and try to talk to Ranma about helping. Minako is mostly quiet. Ranma says he needs to get stronger. Etsuya admonishes Ranma for wanting to do everything himself. Ranma apologizes but says still… he needed to do this.

Mitsuo says "Hey, Ranma what are your really fighting for then? Your pride or Hotaru? You should realize that there's other people worried about her too… and you."

Ranma's eyes widen and he sees Hotaru. But he finally says "Yeah, I know but… I just… please leave me alone for a bit…"

Everybody sighs and leaves.

Ranma looks out over the dark city and thinks about everything everybody said to him. [Explore this arc's psychological theme here when you figure it out].

Genma's Announcement.

It's morning and Genma whacks Ranma for failing again. Ranma asks Genma to just show him the technique again but Genma tells him that wasn't the problem. He lectures Ranma on clearing his heart and regaining his focus but Ranma doesn't get it. Genma asks him about this girl who's affected him so much and Ranma is surprised Genma knows about Hotaru.

Genma finally says for Ranma to pack some clothes, they were going to go on a short trip (later). Ranma asks where. Genma says: "To see your mother."

Shibakouen

Ranma goes to school to tell the others what he's doing. Ryoga is shocked that Ranma would leave at such an important time but Ranma says he'll be back in a few days and he felt he needed to do this. He says he's been thinking of what they told him and, well… he just needed some time to clear his head up, and maybe seeing his mother would do that.

Ryoga says okay but there was something he needed to show him first.

Ryoga's Basement

All the Shibakouen crew are in Ryoga's basement.

Ryoga slowly lifts a giant solid rock wall up. He explains that his father had left the family secrets behind it but said that he wouldn't be able to get past it until he learned the true meaning of strength.

The wall is actually a giant rectangular slab and down the tunnel it blocks is a large ditch. Ryoga slowly lifts the slab and goes down the tunnel step by step, losing more and more height as he gets nearer to the ditch. Ranma runs in and holds the slab, together they reach the ditch. Ryoga starts to let go so he can dive across the ditch, but the slab is too heavy for him. The others run in and slowly lift it up, they're still having trouble but then Osamu runs in and they manage to push it back up and hold it, together, without too much strain.

Ryoga goes across the ditch, he hits a button and the wall slides upward to everybody's relief. There he retrieves some scrolls and a large, heavy umbrella.

He explains that he used to think he had to train until he became strong enough to get across by himself, but the real lesson is to have good friends you can depend on and to not fight alone.

Ranma slowly nods says he thinks he understands. Ryoga snorts. He doubts it, but maybe he'll figure it out when he talks to his mother.

Minako watches quietly as Ryoga's classmates yell at him for not telling them about this place earlier. All these years and he had never asked them for help?

Train Station

At the train station, Ranma says bye to Ryoga, his classmates and Minako and tells them to tell Chibi-Usa and the others not to worry. When he gets back they'd find Hotaru for sure.

They all encourage him and tell him not to get in too much trouble. He wouldn't want his mother spanking him. Ranma laughs and waves at them as the train pulls away.

Chapter 48

Ryoga Training

Ryoga is training with his friends from school. He is attempting to master the techniques in the scroll his father had left him. It was a little tough, especially with this heavier umbrella. He didn't know what it was made of but it was heavy even for him.

Ryoga fights and talks with his friends. They really wanted to help him find Hotaru.

Ryoga manages to do his Umbrella Ki Torpedo thing attack and is very happy. Others stop, scared, and congratulate him. He tells them to stand still so he can try again.

They dog pile him saying no!

Planning

Ryoga is in his room with his classmates discussing what to do. He had been advancing pretty rapidly with his techniques. Those razor bandanas were pretty dangerous though. Luckily, Etsuya had been around to keep Takeru's "haircut" from getting any closer. After some practice, the Lost Boy's aim was a lot better.

They decide that Mugen was definitely suspicious and they should probably go back there, but then they'd have to sneak in again. Ranma wasn't even back yet, though its only been a day. Maybe they should wait for him before doing anything unnecessary?

Then Etsuya reveals that he was going to be taking the entrance exams there tomorrow so they wouldn't have to sneak in. They might as well take the opportunity go tomorrow.

Everybody is surprised and congratulate Etsuya for passing Mugen's preliminary exam. He smiles and says Hotaru had inspired him.

Mugen [see episode 122].

The next day the group is standing outside in the snow [was it snowing? I don't remember, check episode] in a ridiculously long line and grumble about this stupid idea. They glare at all the serious-faced students and their stupidity for waiting out in the cold like this and making threading scowls at some students giving them condescending looks.

Finally, Takeru and Osamu get annoyed and decide to cause a "distraction" so that the rest can get in early.

They start assaulting the students in front of the line.

Ryoga, Etsuya and Mitsuo quickly move to the front.

Rei and Makoto

Rei and Makoto are looking out the window wondering what's going on outside. There seemed to be a big brawl going on outside.

Suddenly, Ryoga, Etsuya and Mitsuo appear. They have a brief conversation about what everybody's doing here. Etsuya suddenly remembers that he has to take the test to take when they mention Ami and he runs off to the computer lab. Ryoga follows but Mitsuo looks at the two Senshi, a flash of suspicion going across his eyes for a moment, and then says he thinks he'll stay here for a bit. Keep them company since they looked so gloomy.

Villuy

Villuy, aka Yui Bido, is having a conversation with the professor and reflects on Ami. She activates the heart sucking nano-bots [see anime episode 122].

Usagi and Minako

Usagi and Minako watch as the computer users get their hearts stolen. They hear an explosion and see that's Etsuya. His computer monitor is shattered, a knife inside of it, and he's standing a few feet away, clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

Minako and Usagi quickly leave. Etsuya sees them and starts to follow.

Ryoga Wandering

Ryoga is wandering Mugen lost and not really sure what he's doing. He's frustrated.

Mashiro sees him and calls him over. He recognizes Ryoga as one of Hotaru's friends. They have a conversation about Hotaru and the strangeness around her and her recent disappearance, both now and in the past.

Ryoga asks if that means he doesn't like Hotaru.

Mashiro says no, he's learned that she's actually a very kind person, and he wants to help him find her. He asks where Hotaru's boyfriend/Ranma is.

Ryoga says he's not here. Mashiro is disappointed but then says there's been a lot of strange activity around the basement and leads him there.

In the basement they see the Senshi fighting Villuy and Hotaru on her chair unconscious wearing her strange death buster clothes. Ryoga is about to rush in but Mashiro stops him and says lets just get Hotaru. Ryoga agrees and they start sneaking towards Hotaru.

Ryoga sneaks the wrong way and Mashiro pulls him back.

Ryoga vs. Senshi

The Senshi finish off Villuy and then turn to see Ryoga sneaking off with Hotaru and Mashiro.

The Outers tell him to stop but he ignores them and they attack him. He throws Hotaru to Mashrio and blocks the attack with his umbrella though he is knocked away.

He attacks the Inners as they go after Mashiro.

The inners try to help Mashiro but he runs away from them, back towards Hotaru's chair.

Suddenly, Professor Tomoe's voice says "The battle is just beginning" and Mashiro and Hotaru float up and disappear, Mashiro yelling for somebody to help them

Ryoga curses and demands "What do you guys want?! Why are you hurting Hotaru?!"

The Inners says that's not it, it's the enemy not us!"

The Outers are disgusted and say they shouldn't have let her escape like that. Now an innocent person had been captured too.

Inners: "Hotaru is innocent too!"

Outers turn to leave when Ryoga attacks, they knock him back with attacks and leave.

The Inners go to help Ryoga but he attacks them too.

They fight an enraged Ryoga. The Inners are desperate but they can't seem to escape, at least not all of them, and there was no way they'd leave one of their own behind.

Ryoga actually starts injuring some of the Senshi with his deadly attacks. Usagi is horrified and stops fighting, begging the others to as well but Ryoga is too enraged to even hear her and the others say they have no choice, they had to knock him out at least!

Fight starts to reach a climax as Ryoga slams his umbrella into Jupiter, knocking her away and then dash at Ami with a flurry of bandannas. Mars burns them down and Ryoga throws his umbrella, open at her, blinding her. Venus traps Ryoga's arm with her chain but he yanks her against a wall, she starts to collapse. He dashes towards her, enraged.

She is clutching her shoulder in pain. What was going on? This couldn't be happening, all of them and Ryoga. All of them and Hotaru… she starts crying as he runs at her. She lifts a hand and points a finger at him. She just wanted… a normal life! "Venus Crescent Beam-"

"Stop!"

Etsuya is suddenly in front of Ryoga, his arms spread out. Mashiro had tackled Ryoga to the ground and Osamu was pinning him down now while Takeru eyed the Senshi warily. Ryoga screamed to be let go.

Etsuya: "Minako, Usagi, everybody… please stop."

Ryoga froze and everybody stared at Etsuya in shock.

Hotaru and Mashiro

Mashiro is restrained in the air as the Professor and Kaolinite offer his Crystal Heart to Hotaru.

Mashiro begs Hotaru to come to her senses, he knows that's not really her.

She starts to draw out his crystal heart and Mashiro starts losing consciousness. Hotaru recovers for a brief second and Mashiro can see the horror in her eyes. Right before he fades out he mutters "it's okay."

She swallows his heart.

Chapter 49

Homecoming

Ranma and Genma are walking to their home.

Ranma is a little nervous and keeps stopping to ask Genma shouldn't they bring a gift or something etc.

As Ranma reaches the Saotome home, his is hit with nostalgia, seeing his home from so long ago and remembering how he used to play here and there. It was so long though, he could barely remember it, it almost didn't even seem real. In a way, this didn't even feel like home anymore, home had been… Juuban. He wondered if he would feel the same way with his mother and his nervousness doubles.

He sees his mother waiting for him in front of the main entrance, smiling at him and is unsure of what to do. But when she sweeps him into her arms he knows he really is home and hugs her desperately, feeling 10 years of love wrapping around him.

Dinner

Dinner is a sumptuous feast and Ranma and Genma tell stories of their adventures together. When Nodoka asks about their recent experiences, however, the two become quiet and Ranma softly says with a sad smile that they were the best times of his life, and that he made some really great friends. Sensing the discomfort, Nodoka comments that friends, true friends, really are one of the most precious treasures in the world and then changes the subject.

Mother and Son Talk

Later that night Nodoka finds Ranma sitting by himself in the family garden staring into space. She asks what's wrong and Ranma quietly asked if she has ever really cared for somebody more than anything in the world. She says yes, him and his father. Ranma gets flustered and says that's not what he meant. He then asks if she's ever loved anyone. She replies the same and Ranma is again flustered. He goes on and asks if she had ever wanted to protect something really badly but couldn't. She replies with anecdotes from his childhood and Ranma is again flustered. He says she's not helping him at all!

Nodoka replies sternly and asks him to tell her exactly how this person he cared about and loved more than anything in the world but couldn't protect despite how badly he wanted to was so special.

Ranma stops, flustered. He thinks about Hotaru and the whirlwind of emotions associate with her. As his mind spins, Nodoka smiles and places her hand over Ranma's heart. "Stop," she says. "Those feeling going through you right now… that's exactly how I feel."

Ranma is stunned and stares at his mother, not sure what to say. Nodoka looks away and explains that he should learn something from these simple experiences of life. That just because something wasn't incredibly strange or amazing didn't make it fundamentally any different from her simple experiences. She says she knows, she's been through both.

She then asks if the question Ranma had for her had something to do with what it meant to be strong? Ranma is shocked. It does. Nodoka laughs and says softly that he really was just like his father. Nodoka then explains to him that for her, true strength meant having the will and soundness of heart to protect the people she loved without reserve, whether it be from accidental falls or powerful monsters, it was all the same. She says notice she said nothing about martial arts ability. That wasn't the key. Loving him and his father like she did, how do you think she got by 10 years without seeing them? It wasn't by fighting, she could tell him that for sure.

Finally, she asks him if the reason he had been asking all of these questions of her isn't because he's lost and afraid because he's been caught up in the magnitude of everything.

Ranma instantly denies this and Nodoka gets up, smiling. "Good," she says, "Then get up Ranma, and have the strength to protect those you love. The Yamasenken and Umisenken are of no use to somebody who lacks that. I think that's what your father was trying to tell you when he brought you here.

Ranma is surprised: "Pops told you?"

Nodoka: "No, I knew from the beginning, from the first moment I held you in my arms, that you were a great martial artist. I'm glad now to find that you're also strong, like a real man."

Ranma thinks about what his mother said as she leaves him alone. She was… right…

Genma and Nodoka

Nodoka and Genma talk in their bedroom. Nodoka says she thinks Ranma will be okay now. Genma thanks her, he didn't know how to get through to Ranma.

Genma then says he has been teaching Ranma the forbidden techniques.

Nodoka says she knew as soon as she saw them and asks why.

Genma is silent for a moment before replying that he met Setsuna again. Nodoka: "You mean… Ranma?"

Genma nods: "It's just like what happened before."

Nodoka is silent and the two think about the past. Finally, Nodoka asks if that meant Ranma had found a girl he liked. Genma scowls and says yes, but that didn't matter. He just didn't what Ranma to go through what happened to all of them. Nodoka still asks if this wouldn't complicate the engagement with the Tendos. Genma thinks she has no idea but insists that it didn't matter.

Nodoka smiles and presses herself against Genma, kissing him. "If that were true… you wouldn't have married me."

Morning Training

Ranma is training with Genma in the morning. He is a lot more focused and enjoying the training. He keeps shouting to his mom to watch him or ask if he was doing this alright.

Genma is a little annoyed but impressed. It was only their second full day home and Ranma had made remarkable progress. At this rate, while Ranma would still be far from mastering them, he would soon be very proficient with and certainly well on his way to mastering the Forbidden Techniques.

Genma is suddenly hit by one of said techniques and falls into the Koi pond. Ranma laughs at Genma for letting his guard down.

Ranma vs. Mother

It is the third day.

Ranma swordfights with Nodoka in their small training hall.

The lesson is to not defeat yourself before the battle even begins. Don't get caught up in hopelessness. Ranma thinks about the situation with Hotaru. Nodoka tells Ranma that even throwing yourself into a fight doesn't necessarily mean you have the right mindset. If he was just making a senseless sacrifice while thinking he can't win, then it was worthless.

Ranma says he knows that!

Nodoka: "Then why are you losing now? Is it because you know I'm better with a blade or because I'm a woman and you won't fight me seriously?"

Nodoka knocks Ranma down and says she thinks it's both.

Nodoka starts lecturing Ranma at the point of the Saotome Family Sword.

Nodoka: "This is the Saotome Family Sword which was passed down to me by your father's mother. Though it may taste defeat, it is the blade that will never acknowledge it. That concept is the foundation of your family school of martial arts, even modified as it has been by your father's Anything Goes training. Though I disagree with certain aspects of your father's teachings, it still holds true to that principle. Even when your father runs, it is not out of fear of defeat is it? No, it is in order to achieve victory. Your mistake then, Ranma, is threefold. You run before the battle even starts, do not strive for victory when you do, and do not even acknowledge that any of this has occurred."

Ranma is chastened and Nodoka tells him to get up and fight again.

Father Son Talk

Genma goes up to Ranma, who is sitting in the garden and talks to him.

Genma gets Ranma to admit that it felt really good to fight with his mother as a martial artist (or kenshin) and he's surprised she's so good at it.

Genma says of course, she's his wife after all.

Ranma asks if he had taught her too. Genma says a little, but mostly his mother did.

Nodoka appears and says when Ranma gets married, she'll do the same for his wife, as long as he gives her many grandchildren. Ranma is embarrassed and says to stop talking about weird stuff like that.

Departure

Ranma splits a giant boulder in half with one of the Yamasenken techniques on the morning of their 4th day. He's ready…

Heartfelt goodbyes are given and Ranma and Genma head off.

Time to go… home? No, this was home, but back in Juuban… back there were people he loved.

Chapter 50

Reunion

Ranma walks into the courtyard in the shrine and dodges an Umbrella. Ryoga comes out and greets him and the two fight, exchanging some of their new techniques. They both mutually decide to stop after a bit and say it's good to see each other.

Then he turns and sees that everybody (Inner Senshi and classmates) is there. He smiles and says hey, but there's a grim look on their face. Finally, Minako says they have to talk.

Revelations

Back at the shrine, the Inners have just finished telling Ranma everything.

Ranma thinks about all the deception and how everything made sense now. Mitsuo makes some comment about how he and Etsuya had discovered the Senshi's identities.

Ranma is grim and even a little angry but ultimately decides it doesn't matter. He just wants to find Hotaru. The Senshi say it probably has something to do with Mugen. They would go back to investigate soon. Ranma nods. He's just glad that he has an idea of what's going on now. The magnitude of it all was hard to comprehend, but like his mother had said… the fundamental concept of it was the same: find Hotaru.

Ranma then says he wants to know one more thing though, who are the other Senshi? The Inners look at each other uneasily.

Anger

Ranma is running back home, enraged. It was Haruka and Michiru?! He thinks of everything they've done and feels betrayed. It starts raining but he doesn't feel the cold, only the heat of his anger.

Ranma vs. Haruka

Ranma confronts Haruka on the roof in the rain. Haruka transforms and they fight. They talk in between blows about trust, making sacrifices and Haruka says an insecure kid like Ranma wouldn't understand.

Ranma manages to lock Haruka in the same move she did on him in their first fight.

She asks him how he got so much stronger. He says he learned not to give up before the fight even began. "How can you know we can't save Hotaru when you've never even tried?"

Haruka: "It's not worth risking the destruction of the world to find out!" She forces herself free and knocks Ranma away, the two start to launch their special attacks when they're suddenly broken up and held down.

It's Michiru and Genma.

Both shout to be let go. Michiru comments that Haruka is acting very childish right now. Just exactly why were they fighting?

Genma asks Ranma the same thing. Ranma accuses Genma of being in on everything, what the heck had the past few days been all about when all along he had just been lying to him?! Genma is shocked at the hurt in Ranma's voice as he accuses Genma of helping them try to kill Hotaru.

Setsuna steps out and shouts "Stop it Ranma, that's not true! Genma didn't know anything. If anything, more than anybody, he believes in you!"

Ranma: "What the hell are you talking about?! He must've known who you were!"

Setsuna: "That's true, but you should know better than anyone Ranma, that your father doesn't believe in making sacrifices for anything." She smiles sadly. "That's why he married your mother instead of me."

Ranma stared at the two grim faces of Setsuna and his father, his anger slowly starting smolder down. Finally, he raises an eyebrow and asks, confused, "You married mom because it was easier?"

Chapter 51

Ranma at Home

Ranma has woken up early because he doesn't want to train.

He looks at the snoring form of his father and chuckles. Geez, what an "undignified" [find better word] old man…

Ranma thinks back to last night's revelations. They hadn't told him the details, but to think Genma had gone through something like what Ranma was going through right now. Of course, Genma had failed, but still… Ranma felt a flash of pride that he was Genma's son. He would do it, he would prove that Genma was right in believing there must be another way, a way without sacrificing people he cared about. Even if he had to go find this Pharaoh 90 and beat him to a pulp himself. He'd save the world without letting anything happen to Hotaru…

Ranma pulls Genma's blanket over him and heads for school.

At School

At school, Ranma is reunited with the rest of his classmates. They all say they heard about Hotaru and pledge to help him. He is surprised but happy to think he has so many friends willing to help him. He thinks back to what Hotaru said about being alone and his mother's words about true friends being precious. He promises he'll tell them if he needed their help. He sees Minako and goes to talk to her while Etsuya and the others joke around with the rest of the class.

Ranma tells Minako that Haruka and Michiru are fine. Minako says she knows, she went after him and watched, but she was more worried about Ranma. Ranma snorts and said she shouldn't have been.

Minako smiles and says, "Hasn't it been us saving you every time up until now?"

Ranma is a little awkward about the thought of Minako saving him as a Senshi and says "Er… yeah." He then asks if they were going to meet at the shrine again to figure out what to do next.

Now Minako is awkward about the thought of working with Ranma as a Senshi and says "Uh… yeah." The two stand around for a while quietly and then walk off.

Planning

Ranma, Ryoga, Etsuya, Osamu, Takeru and Mitsuo are at the Shrine with the Senshi discussing what to do.

Everybody is annoyed that they have to communicate by relay with the cats because of Ranma. Ranma is still a little uncomfortable.

The Senshi aren't sure about letting Etsuya and the other classmates get involved, and Ranma and the others are a little worried too, but they insist, taking the friendship moral high ground.

Focus on Usagi's kindness and optimism however.

Ranma wonders shouldn't they be out there looking for Hotaru or doing something? What about Mugen? What about that guy who had been captured?

The Senshi become grim as they are reminded of Mashiro.

But Rei and Ami say that they couldn't just rush in anymore. That had failed them every previous time—they'd likely walk into a trap again. Right now, they'd let the cats sneak in. At the very least, they'd wait until nightfall to go investigate.

Ranma reluctantly agrees.

Ranma and Minako

Ranma is on his roof at home. He had decided to go home to talk to his father but the old man was mysteriously missing along with Haruka and Michiru.

Minako approaches and Ranma talks about how hard it is waiting. Minako says try being a Senshi.

Ranma laughs. "I guess it's pretty weird for you to be working with me and the others huh?"

Minako says well, they have been fighting together for a while but yeah. Still, it was nice having someone else to share the burden with. She recalls her lonely days as Sailor V.

Ranma is still weirded out hearing Minako talk about this but thinks about what Minako says and Hotaru. She wonders if Minako had been talking about him or herself. He says yeah, though. It was hard being alone. He wondered if right now Hotaru felt she was alone? The two are silent

Minako's communicator goes off. Rei (with Osamu trying to peek in and talk as well) reports that the cats have seen a large number of Mugen students were heading towards the school. It must be the enemy's doing.

Ranma and Minako spring to action.

At Mugen [see episode 123]

At Mugen the gang follows the students and watches as they collapse and lose their crystal hearts. Etsuya's crew reluctantly stays behind to move them to safety while Ranma and the others go on to look around.

They are teleported by Cyprine to her lair.

They fight Cyprine and after some initial stumbling defeat her through teamwork.

The dimensional distortion from Cyprine's death appears as per the anime and they go through it.

They eventually arrive at the Messiah of Silence's chambers and see Uranus, Neptune, Hotaru, Chibi-Moon, Mashiro, Kaolinite, and the Professor.

The professor comments that Mashiro's crystal heart wasn't enough so now they'd take Chibi-Usa's as well. Hotaru is half-awakened as Mistress 9 already so she doesn't respond to any of the others.

They are kept back by an invisible barrier.

Ranma is shocked to recognize Hotaru's father.

The professor just laughs and begins the "ceremony" and steals Chibi-Usa's heart.

Uranus snarls at Ranma, see what she's doing? (Hotaru).

Ranma snaps back: "It's not her fault!" and starts pounding on the barrier.

Moon screams at Professor Tomoe to stop if he loves Hotaru.

Hotaru looks at everybody briefly and they think they can see her in there, still struggling, but then she goes back to being Mistress 9 and takes Chibi-Usa's heart.

Mistress 9 awakens and kills Kaolinite to everybody's shock.

The place starts collapsing and the invisible barrier drops. The Senshi retrieve Mashiro and Chibi-Usa and start to leave. Ranma doesn't move at first but then starts to leave when they call to him.

He stops for some last words/advice/character insight from Kaolinite. He tries to take her with them too but she blasts him and tells him to just go.

They escape and deliver Chibi-Usa and Mashiro to Setsuna, Tuxedo Mask and an injured Genma (they had fought Kaolinite to keep Chibi-Usa from being kidnapped).

Brief questions about what was going on and then they leave.

Before the Storm

At Mamoru's apartment, Mamoru links his life force with Chibi-Usa and Mashiro.

Ranma looks at them and then leaves to the living room where the others are.

Setsuna appears and announces that she's going to Mugen to destroy the enemy and save Chibi-Usa.

Genma appears from the room. "Setsuna…"

Setsuna leaves and Genma follows her.

Everybody left looks at each other, not sure what to do. Usagi comes out and says they're going back to Mugen and they'll save both Hotaru and Chibi-Usa. And Mashiro. She wouldn't let anybody else be hurt in this stupid war. Everybody is determined and start to head towards Mugen.

Chapter 52Brainstorming

Genma goes with the Outers in the helicopter which explodes. Setsuna freezes time with her forbidden power, explaining to Genma the consequences of her actions and wondering if maybe she should've used this power back then with Soun and Kimiko. Genma is angry at her, sacrificing herself is the same as sacrificing reaches out to her and she caresses him before disappearing.

When the outers face off with Tomoe, Genma tries to go ahead but is stopped. He decides he'll face Tomoe father to father and tells the Outers to go ahead.

Inners can't teleport but then the rest of Ranma's classmates appear to help. Everybody, including Ryoga, stays behind to help while Ranma is teleported inside with the Senshi.

Mistress 9 splits the group as she feels them going in. She pauses as she moves Ranma and Ranma thinks he feels her watching him as he goes through the barrier.

On the inside, Ranma faces off with all of the daimons he had fought previously along with Minako. The other Senshi are also fighting their own battles.

Moon almost gives Mistress 9 the sacred chalice when she threatens to kill Uranus and Neptune. Ranma and the Inners burst in. Ranma frees Uranus and Neptune with some vacuum blades. Mistress 9 summons the daimons from outside inside to help her.

Ranma uses the Umisenken to get to M9 and grabs her hands. She strangles him with her hair. When he bleeds she starts reverting and lets him go. Mumbles about always hurting him. He gets up and she blasts him, puts the chalice in the machine. Laughs as Pharaoh 90 comes but loses control. Daimons gone. Pharaoh 90 blasts her.

Outside everybody wonders what happened to the daimons. But… it still felt like things were bad… actually, it felt like everything was about to go to hell.

Ranma cradles Hotaru/m9. Genma and Tomoe appear. Outers angry, but Haruka wonders why she didn't take that opening she had to kill Hotaru. She had believed in Ranma, and now… They watch Pharaoh 90 coming, try to attack him but fail.

Hotaru recovers and becomes Saturn, returns crystal hearts.

She gives her speech and tries to leave to kill Pharaoh 90 but Ranma stops her, letting the Silence Glaive stab him, and tells her to trust in others.

They all teleport in, including Ryoga to fight Pharaoh 90. Outers agree to at least try this.

Have Pharaoh 90 come over and the last battle take place in the backdrop of the Tau System;

Inside, everybody's getting their asses kicked. The Outers keep Saturn behind them so that if they were all killed she could at least stop him.

Hotaru is panicking though as she watches Ranma and the others being pulverized.

Kill everybody including classmates etc. off and Super Sailor Moon revive them; possibly not have Saturn come till way at the end. ("close the breached taboo door")

As the battle progresses, emphasize on the need for Super Sailor Moon as well as Hotaru and Ranma. Probably many deaths, but but Sailor Moon will revive them. Might alter some events to be more in line with Manga (e.g., Grail is preserved).

Final scenes of battle becomes abstract as Ranma sees himself in various scenes alone in some quite place with Hotaru, exploring their relationships and themes from the story. Interspace this with scenes from the battle, Ranma's friend's dying and then a scene with Hotaru talking about them. It is not certain if this is really Hotaru or just Ranma's mind and Ranma has some doubts about her, but as the battle climaxes, Hotaru and Ranma are together, and as they look at each other, Ranma realizes (Hotaru says something short surmising everything), that it doesn't matter because Hotaru was exactly the person, real or imagined, he had been talking to. She knew him that well, cared for him that much, and was that much a part of him.

Ranma and Hotaru combine attacks against the final onslaught, not sure what was going to happen, but happy to have found each other. Ranma holds onto her, struggling to stay upright, yelling over the deafening roar of power for Hotaru. She tells him over and over again that she won't let go, she promises she won't let him go. The last thing they see is a bright light washing everything out and what looks like wings (Super Sailor Moon).

Final Scene of chapter: Ranma blinks against the bright sunlight. He is disoriented and it feels like he's been in the dark forever. Focus on his disorientation for a second.

Suddenly, he remembers Hotaru and starts up. Pain shoots through his body but doesn't stop, struggling to pushing himself out of rubble, he turns onto a side, trying to sruggle free and freezes, seeing Hotaru lying in the rubble next to him, her clothes tattered and her face dirtied and bloodied.

His heart seems to stop, and he starts to reach over, opening his mouth.

He feels something squeezing his other hand and suddenly realizes that its Hotaru.

She opens her eyes, looks at him and slowly smiles. She had never let go of him, the entire time. The clouds seem to part, lighting up the world with her smile.

Chapter 53Epilogue

Hotaru is clinging onto Ranma, her face buried in his chest. Occasionally, you can hear her say brokenly through tears "You don't have to go. Stay here with me."

Around them are all their friends, all looking uncomfortable. Ranma knew it wasn't just because he was leaving—many of them understood why he had to go and were even excited for him—but none of them could understand why he was leaving Hotaru now after an amazing few months.

Standing nearby and a little impatient was Genma. The man was still mostly the same but sometimes seemed a little colder and more aloof now. Something had changed… or maybe it had always been there… but something was different since Setsuna disappeared. Disappeared because Genma refused to say she had died. But whatever effect Setsuna had on Genma, the man seemed even more obsessed with training Ranma than ever now. They had been working extensively with the Forbidden Techniques and Genma was adamant about them leaving to China now to continue their training.

Ranma was torn. On the one hand, to say he didn't want to leave Hotaru and his friends was an incredible understatement. On the other hand…. This life was all he had known for as long as he could remember, Genma was still his father, and…. He wanted to get stronger.

And so… [after tearful goodbyes, etc.] Ranma leaves.

They board a train, and Hotaru starts to run after Ranma as it pulls away. Ranma remembers the time he had chased after her on a train as she left and recalled the hidden sadness he felt. But back then he had known she would be back soon, now… he didn't even know when he'd see her again. There are a thousand things running through him as he watches her chasing after him, but he doesn't know what to say.

Hotaru finally shouts out "Ranma, I love you!"

Ranma's eyes widen, he opens his mouth, to shout something back, but suddenly the train is in the tunnel, it's dark and Ranma can't see Hotaru anymore. His words fade away, and he slowly turns back. He looks around for a moment, thinking how unfamiliar this formerly familiar experience of traveling was to him now. But though he feels sad, he thinks back to all his memories of his friends and Hotaru, and suddenly realizes that it was okay… it was all in his heart, and for some reason it wasn't hurting, it still felt fine. A Sound Heart.

Chapter 54Random Notes

Forbidden techniques ideas: Ranma tells Minako to immobilize a daimon with her chain (like the gold cord tight binding soar) while he finishes it off with a yamasenken technique.

Umisenken makes Ranma's presence fade away. But when he's too tense/angry/worried, etc. it doesn't work, which is why Genma has trouble training him.

Genma needs to be more mischievous, particularly when going home

Chapter 55Random Notes on Sequel

Ranma is back in Tokyo but in Nerima.

For whatever reason Genma wants to pursue the engagement with the Tendos

Mix in the Ranma characters/plots somehow… figure out the main plot/SM-type bad guy etc. Or maybe link to Genma/Setsuna's mysterious past. This of course includes Soun and Nodoko and maybe will explain why Genma wants to do the engagement.

Ranma is disgusted with the engagement and ditched the Tendos to go see Hotaru.

Not sure if he should be cursed or not. Probably no reason not to have it.

Hotaru is now on the track team at her new elite school. Etsuya goes to the same school.

The others…. Figure out, but they all reunite of course.

Opening Scene: Scene opens in Hotaru's head. She is concentrating, clearing her mind and focusing on her goal. Describe her pushing off, accelerating, the last two strides (think back to track) and then jump! Time slows down, she feels nothing but air, sees, only blue sky and light, feeling free!

And then she lands in the sand. Describe the landing, her trying to plant her trailing foot as far ahead as possible, trying to stabilize her landing and not fall down. She teeters for just a second, but lands perfectly in the sand. She takes a breath and smiles.

Someone claps and she wrinkles her forehead, wondering who was still there. She thought the others had all left already, tired from the long practice.

"That's pretty good Hotaru, you've gotten a lot better since the last time I saw you."

Hotaru's heart skips a beat and her breath catches. That voice…! She feels a thousand emotions and images rushing into her at once but still, she couldn't believe, dared not believe that… that…

She turns around and it is: "Ranma!" She dashes at him and tackles him into the ground in a hug.

Ranma oofs, as they fall down. Focus on Hotaru's sensations. The feeling of Ranma's body against hers. Her trying to take in his smell, his warmth, the features of his face. She stares at him, her eyes watering and not sure what to say.

He reaches up, caressing her cheek and smiles. "Hey, I love you." Romantic kiss scene TM.

Scene: Ranma is lying in bed with Hotaru recounting his travels when eventually tells her about his engagement with Akane. Hotaru is cutely angry, and hits Ranma repeatedly with a pillow. Ranma tries to apologize/explain and blurts out something like he wants to marry Hotaru, not Akane.

Hotaru flushes, buries her face in her hands. She is not sure what to say, embarrassed but deliriously happy that Ranma had said that.

Scene: Hotaru is with Ranma at Ranma's mother's house. Hotaru had met Ranma's mother many times with Ranma following Pharaoh 90 and before Ranma left to China. Nodoko is very fond of Hotaru and has been teaching her swordsmanship. She is very proficient now.

They tell Nodoko about Ranma's engagement with Akane. Nodoko thinks about it, of course having already known about it. And then reveals that she had actually arranged Hotaru's engagement with Ranma with Hotaru's father. Ranma is engaged to Hotaru too! (or maybe not… I'm getting kind of tired of all these Ranma engagements and the complex engagement plots).

Notes on Hotaru: Hotaru has changed a lot since Ranma has gone. She is no longer sickly, and is a star member and captain of the girls track team at her high school. She is very popular and has many friends (though she still remains closest to her old ones from when she was unpopular). Most of the guys at her school have a crush on her and she is considered a "cool" girl. She is much more confident, and charming in most social situations from the classroom to the clubs. But she is of course, completely in love with Ranma.

The "problem" in their relationship now will be Ranma's feelings of inferiority encountering this newly-confident and popular Hotaru, and Hotaru's continuing feelings of inferiority to Ranma despite how much she's changed otherwise. They will have to resolve this problem and reach a point where they can both respect themselves and each other.

The story will have more of a Ranma ½-flavor to it with all its ridiculous and craziness. Contrast this with Hotaru's normal sensibilities and down-to-earthiness (despite her Senshi double-life). She will be a rock for Ranma and a link to the normal world in the chaos of his Nerima life.

Chapter 56Super long term sequel goals

(maybe just for fun… kinda diverges from the theme of Sound Hearts. More plot and less character relationship driven): The solar system and more is united under the rule of Neo-Queen Serenity in the Crystal Millennium. Ranma is consort to Princess Saturn and most of the characters, thanks to the extended life of humans under Serenity, are still around in various capacities. Etsuya is Supreme Commander of the Crystal Millennium Defense Forces.

Unstoppable invaders that destroy everything TM attack Crystal Millennium. A long, drawn-out war eventually results in the destruction of nearly everything. Major ties in with Tenchi Muyo.

Scene: Ranma watches from orbit as a last-ditch plan to destroy the bulk of an Invader force on Saturn is carried out. The main force of the Invaders are lured onto the planet, where Saturn uses her Death Reborn Revolution to destroy the invaders along with the entire surface of the planet.

Ranma: "Is Hotaru ok?"

Advisor: "Princess Saturn has been safely recovered. It… appears the operation was a success." His voice breaks, Ranma knows what he is thinking. Saturn had been terraformed into a beautiful paradise, and not it was all gone.

Ranma: "You know there, was a time we fought so hard to stop this. Now it's our only hope for survival… and it still may not be enough."

Invaders eventually destroy nearly everything. Last bastion of various forces (Crystal Millennium, Juraain, other crossovers, etc.) fight apocalyptic final battle around earth as Washu and various other geniuses prepare their last plan: They send Ranma back in time with a cabbit that transforms into a super-powerful mecha.

He doesn't want to leave Hotaru, but there is no choice because the cabbit bonded with Ranma.

Climatic destruction of the galaxy stuff and Hotaru forcing Ranma to go as Setsuna opens the gates of time. As Ranma leaves, his last sight is of tenchi using the Wings of Light and Serenity using her Crystal to try to turn back the invaders and everybody else using something. It was their last hope but it was almost certain to destroy everything, and as the light reaches its peak against the darkness, and it isn't sure what would happen next, Ranma is gone.

Ranma travels back to some point (not sure when) encounters his past self and Hotaru, and saves the galaxy from the Invaders, overcoming bonding problems with his cabbit etc.

Ranma meets his past-self and past-Hotaru's child (baby?) towards the end. In his reality he and Hotaru never had a child because of the War.

After it all, Ranma goes traveling across dimensions trying to find his lost reality in that is now in the Chrono Trigger Tesseract so he can rejoin Hotaru in whatever awaits him beyond oblivion.

Ending scene: Past-Ranma and Hotaru are lying together on a hill somewhere on Saturn, enjoying the peace they had fought so hard to achieve. Future Ranma had seemingly died in the final battle and they talk about him themselves. Suddenly, Ranma cabbit-mecha appears, flying next to them. They chase after it, yelling at him to come down as it flies off. When it becomes apparent that he isn't stopping they thank him and wish him luck and then he's gone.

Move into continuing serious with Ranma traveling across alternate realities etc.?

Note: All this may be too crazy.

END


End file.
